The Master Corps: Whiteout
by Thomas A. Hawk
Summary: Death comes for everyone eventually. Some people just refuse to stay in the grave... Based after the events of The Master Corps chapter 45.
1. Brethren

**The Master Corps: Whiteout**

 **By Thomas A. Hawk**

 **Edited by: dashboardgecko**

 **Monster Hunter is owned by Capcom. Any characters that appear in this story belong to me, myself, and I, unless otherwise stated.**

 **SPOILER WARNING!: This is a canonical side story taking place after the events of The Master Corps. If you have not read my previous work, I would advise you turn back and do so now, as Whiteout will reference characters, revelations and plot twists without ceremony. Otherwise, read at your own discretion.**

* * *

Chapter 1: Brethren

Falling.

Burning.

Pain.

Frost was aware of those three things above anything, even as he dimly felt himself crash through thick wooden platforms and tumble off of the long stone walls of Tanzia's Lighthouse. He wasn't even sure how long he had been falling now, how far he fell—it could have been an eternity for all he knew. His basic instincts recognized that an eventual stop would follow soon, though, and beyond that… Nothing.

His mind only further continued to blank out from there, his vision blurring terribly, swaying as though he were standing on the deck of a ship in the midst of a storm. Something darted past his vision, though—a black and orange blur. He heard a shout, then felt something collide with him, grab hold of him. He felt himself pulled away from the lighthouse, from the numerous scaffolds he had fallen through, towards a vast-yet-dark sea. His descent hardly slowed, though, even as a powerful gust of wind began to buffet him, forcing him further and further away from Tanzia's Lighthouse.

The one who had caught hold of him let out another shout, the words unintelligible to his bleary conscious, though his eyes dragged forwards enough to recognize the sea rapidly nearing them. Before they collided with the surface, a mass ripple shot across the surface, bringing with it a brighter hue to the dark waters. They slammed into the glowing waves a moment later, and that shock brought with it complete darkness to the Hybrid.

* * *

Inky blackness swirled around him for what seemed like ages. Was this death? Chilling silence, utter stillness… Nothing but an endless, all-consuming void.

He supposed if this was death, he wasn't surprised. He never expected much anyways. Loath as he was to admit it, Balestra had been a foe beyond him. To meet his end at the edge of a powerful opponent's blade was… gratifying, he supposed. To die fighting was something he could accept.

But what he couldn't accept was failing Snow. She had fallen before him. He had fought to end Balestra, and get her to safety… only to fall in the end. Had she perished too? Had she perhaps been saved through some miracle?

He regretted not being able to know for himself.

Yet, even as that thought crossed his mind, he became aware of a piercing spot of light ahead of him, shining straight into his eyes, nearly blinding him. He couldn't move, nor speak, nor even shield his eyes—he could only watch as the light intensified and grew, drawing nearer and nearer to him as though sucking him into its core. The orb of brightness collided with him, and all at once reality seemed to form around the Hybrid.

Frost inhaled sharply, his eyes splitting open and darting around rapidly, confusedly. A grey cavern surrounded him, illuminated solely by a vein of glowstone in the ceiling overhead. The only other things he could make out were two figures standing over him. Their features were vague to him and his hazy, unsteady vision, but he was aware that one of them seemed impossibly huge.

An explosive agony spread across his chest as he awakened, causing him to groan deeply. It hurt worse than any wound he'd suffered before. Searing, burning, visceral pain across his entire torso. Yet, there was something else too. Cool, soothing liquid pressed against the whole of his upper body, keeping the pain at bay, even if only slightly. Attempting to push himself up, he found that same watery pressure was holding him down on a hard slab of stone. Fighting against it proved futile, though—he was just too badly wounded to resist much. What strength that remained in him was menial at best… Shameful. He let out a strained cough as his head dropped back to the slab beneath him. His lungs felt like they were barely even holding air.

"He breathes," he heard a woman's voice say. Her tone was cool and calm, focused… though distant, detached even. "Your power never ceases to amaze, Lord Neptune. I was certain he was done for."

"Had we taken any longer, he would have been," the other voice sighed, seemingly out of both relief and spent effort. The tone of this voice seemed elderly, wise and kind, but commanding and respectable. Insurmountable. "But you know well enough by now that I'm an old fossil well set in his ways. He is not due for death just yet. Not while we can do something about it."

The echo of their voices sounded as though they were in a cave of some kind… deep and complex, beyond just a single room. The scents and sounds were numerous, impossible to count, and far too much for his blunted senses. It was equally impossible to discern any in particular, save the ones nearby, albeit even those were completely unfamiliar to him.

"Y… ou…" Frost croaked towards the massive figure standing over him, grimacing as his chest screamed in resistance at the effort. "Who… w-wh… ere…?"

"Save your strength, white one. Rest, recover, and we will discuss later. Believe me, we are just as curious about you."

Still half-delirious from the pain of his wounds, the Hybrid attempted something akin a nod as his vision began to swim and darken once more…

* * *

He wasn't sure how much later it was when he awoke again. Days, weeks… months? Frost had no idea how to tell. The cavern was lit just as it had been before, only this time it was empty save for himself.

He blinked his eyes awake and groaned as he pushed himself up. His chest continued to hurt something awful, but not nearly as terribly as before. That strange watery pressure had also vanished—a glance downwards revealed a massive cross-shaped burn scar stretching across the whole of his upper body, around his sides and over his shoulders even. A scar to end all scars…

The Hybrid shook his head and shifted his legs off of the stone slab, grimacing at the cramped resistance the limbs had towards his efforts, the shaky stance they offered. Lack of use was the likely cause. Even still, Frost forced himself to stand after easing the tension out of his legs. Though fairly unstable, he felt he could at least walk. His only remaining clothing consisted of the tattered, charred remains of his black pants, though he saw some other remnants of his armor after a short glance to the side. It was still heavily damaged, to the point where only the faulds that hung over his legs from the thick belt he wore was all he could salvage to wear, save for his plated white boots. As he partially garbed himself, he noted that the room wasn't exactly natural—several odd angles cut into the walls and ceiling suggested it had been carved out through other means. The ceiling was also far higher than he thought at first, easily reaching over fifteen feet up from the ground. The entrance to the room likewise stretched from floor to ceiling.

Using his arm to steady himself against the wall, Frost slowly began to make his way out of the room, finding himself in a long hallway cut through the stone cavern in a similar manner to the cavern, reaching just as high as his 'room'. The ceiling was lit at inconsistent intervals by more veins of glowing ore. He sniffed the air and strained his ears for any noises to follow, though the cave made it hard to pinpoint any clear sources of scent or sound.

Where was this place? The air was quite salty, and there was far too much moisture for the cave to be anywhere far from the sea. Could this still be Tanzia, perhaps? No, that didn't seem right. There wasn't any sense of danger here—not of the magnitude of Dire Miralis, at least—and there were almost no scents similar to those of the port. Wandering down the halls and inspecting other rooms and passages, he recalled that the cave system in the peninsula wasn't supposed to be this complex, nor manmade. As far as he knew, at least. Perhaps it was some island nearby, or at least the system had to be connected to the ocean somehow.

Wherever he was now was not his primary concern, however. What had happened in Tanzia? What had happened to Snow? Balestra had terribly wounded Wes, then Snow had fallen, and then… he didn't quite recall everything after that. Pain. Fury. Blood and thunder. Continued agony eventually consumed by flames, and then he fell… but something had caught him, and he fell into the ocean, somehow surviving the drop. But… how?

Straining to recall further details, he recalled briefly coming to at one point. Two voices… those figures, the man and the woman. They had to have the answers. Frost had to find them.

Struggling on through the caves, Frost became more and more aware of various other scents in the air, not just the burn of salt and the scents of the two he had heard. How many… five, six total? Perhaps more, but it was hard to tell. All unfamiliar, unrecognizable. There was one thing he could tell about them all, though—

Not a single being in this complex was human.

He narrowed his eyes at the thought. He couldn't quite say any meetings he or Snow had with other Hybrids had been cordial. The two he had 'met' had something to do with his survival, that much he knew, but why did they save him? What was their goal? And even if those two could be trusted, what of the others he sensed?

He grimaced as he rounded another corner and continued on towards a large room at the end of the corridor. He wasn't used to this. Wounded, unarmed, and uncertain of what came next… He'd have to learn as it came. Above all, though, he had to find out what happened to the others, to his sister. What happened to Snow.

Dimly aware of the scent of cooked meat and the sound of voices ahead, Frost continued on towards the large chamber at the end of the hall, stepping into what appeared to be a large banquet hall of sorts, carved from stone like the rest of the cave system. A long table jutted from the floor in the center of the long oval-shaped room, surrounded by a number of tall blocky chairs, overshadowed by a single positively massive one at the head of the table. Numerous other openings led into the chamber from various points around the edge of the room, branching off into other halls and passages like the one he had just stumbled through.

Seated around the table were four other Hybrids, some standing while others lounged on the chairs. The first he saw had a pair of beady, yellow eyes, and short slicked-forwards hair of an odd mixture of blue and orange. His skin was pale beneath the form-fitting scale suit he wore, defining his musculature and his tall stature. Interestingly enough his hands seemed to be webbed, and on the back of both arms were a pair of wing-like fins, colored much the same as his scale suit. His vacant expression did not shift from the large fish he was currently devouring. He stood beside one of the chairs, kneeling low to be level with the table.

The next Hybrid was seated ordinarily, and was the only one to do so. She was large and powerful, garbed in a regal olive green-scale armor of sorts that closed in the front, but remained open in the back. The purpose for that was the pair of large green wings that rose over her shoulders, folded up close so as not to take up too much space. The membranes were a tan color dotted with fiery-brown marks. The Hybrid wore a proud, lofty expression, appearing like a queen seated on a throne. Her long jade green hair parted in the middle of her forehead, framing her face perfectly and calling attention to her fierce orange eyes. The precise manner in which she picked apart the slab of cooked meat before her with somewhat-worn silverware was likewise fitting for her image.

The third Hybrid almost completely contrasted the previous, having a wild and unkempt appearance while he lounged on his chair with both legs kicked up onto the table. He had cream-blonde hair that jutted out every which way, mostly forwards, in a strange array of blade-like tufts that partially hung in front of his electric-blue eyes. Unlike the other three Hybrids, his garb left his upper body almost completely exposed, almost as though he was displaying his sturdy, muscular build and the numerous scars across his chest for all to see. His arms and legs were covered by thick bone gauntlets and greaves, each possessing a peculiar protrusion or two that appeared like a claw or blade, while his legs were covered by a furry teal sash and leggings. He was currently devouring a hunk of meat without a care for his own increasingly-messy appearance, holding it by the bone that jutted out the side.

The last Hybrid was… unnerving. This one sat at the top of the chair's back, garbed in dark, fleshy robes that hid most of its body from view. The hood was pulled down however, revealing a head of long, blood-red hair and incredibly pale skin, beneath which one could even see veins. Over its eyes was a thick wrapping of bandages. Physically, the Hybrid was completely androgynous, not truly thin and curvy, but not bulky or lithe, features equally smooth and rough. While the other three continued to eat, this one had looked up the second Frost entered the chamber, staring directly at him from beneath the bandages over its eyes. A smile crept to its lips as it lowered its own meal from its face—something about this one just made Frost want to tear it to pieces.

"Ah, our new brother awakens at last," the pale Hybrid chuckled. Its voice was such an eerily perfect mix of pitches and tones that describing it as masculine or feminine just didn't capture the whole picture. At its words the other Hybrids all glanced up and stared towards him with expressions of varying interest.

"Well well, that old codger actually managed to put you back together!" the wolfish Hybrid grinned, showing off dangerously sharp-looking teeth in the process. His tone was rough and aggressive, gravelly even. "Coulda sworn you were a goner. Guess you're tougher than I thought… or maybe ol' Neptune just really knows what he's doing! Bah, who gives a damn. Welcome to the family."

"He hardly seems worth a mention," the draconic woman noted, setting her utensils down and pushing up from the table to get a clearer view of him. Once more contrasting the other, her tone was formal and commanding. "Perhaps it's the wounds, or the poor state of body. At least he isn't as detestably mangy as you are, Tyrell."

"Oof, now that's a low blow, Reggie."

"It's _Regina,_ you cur _."_

"Good job, you know your own name." Regina let out a frustrated huff and brought a hand to her forehead in irritation while Tyrell let out a hearty, rough laugh. The aquatic Hybrid merely spared a quick glance towards Frost, shrugged, then turned back towards its half-eaten meal, appearing largely indifferent to the situation. Tyrell patted the arm of the chair to his side invitingly, though. "C'mon, join us! We don't bite. Much."

Frost eyed the Hybrid suspiciously, simply grunting in reply as he staggered his way towards another chair and lowered himself onto it. His eyes darted from face to face as he did so—none of them were trustworthy, as far as he cared. He wouldn't get cordial.

"Care for a share of the hunt?" the robed Hybrid questioned, slouching farther forward, far enough that it seemed likely to fall at any second—curiously, though, it remained 'stuck' to the top of the chair. It gestured towards the massive hunk of Aptonoth meat and fish in the middle of the table surrounded by various fruits and vegetables. "Ripley brought back a truly wonderful haul this time."

"Sadly frogs aren't common in the ocean," the finned Hybrid stated simply before tossing the skeleton of the fish he'd been eating back onto the table, then approached the pile. Frost assumed he was just getting more, but to his surprise Ripley stacked a few hunks of the meat, some fish, and a couple hearty-looking vegetables onto a 'plate' (really just a round stone slab), stuck a worn-down knife and fork into it, and slid it down the table at him. Frost brought his arm up and halted the plate, briefly looked over the food, then nodded towards the Hybrid.

"If you're worried about how well it's cooked, there's no need," Regina stated with a hint of pride. "My flames are perfect for roasting anything from fools to slabs of meat. Of course, I always aim for perfection, unlike Tyrell."

"Hey, thunder magic is just as good for cooking as fire!"

"Certainly. Is that why you enjoy gnawing on charred husks, you degenerate? I'm certain the white one here has adopted a finer taste than yours, given his time spent among humans. Am I correct?"

Frost remained quiet even as she directly addressed him, only replying to her question with a flat, distrusting glare while he pulled a grilled fish from his plate, leading her to frown disappointedly at him and let out a huff with a shake of her head. He wouldn't admit it, but he _was_ starving. It was almost like he hadn't eaten in months… The fish and half the plate were gone fast enough that even Viper would have been impressed, were he here… which only raised another question. What had happened to him and Wes? He'd have to start hunting for answers.

"Who are you all?" he asked at last, narrowing his eyes irately at how dry and weak his voice felt.

"Hah! He _can_ speak! Figured he was one of them silent types. Call me Tyrell—toughest one of the bunch around this place," the electric-eyed Hybrid grinned, jutting a thumb towards himself. "I'm a Zinogre Hybrid, if ya couldn't tell."

"Truly? You believe yourself to be the 'toughest'? I believe lord Neptune must prove you wrong again," the jade-haired Hybrid retorted before turning towards Frost. "You may address me as Regina. Once Rathian, now Hybrid. The pleasure is all mine, of course."

"Ripley," the aquatic Hybrid said simply, returning to his place at the table and crouching low—he stood even taller than Frost did at full height. "Plesioth."

"I am Mephitis—Gigginox Hybrid," the final one stated with a lurching bow. Frost immediately felt his nose cringe in dissatisfaction. He loathed Gigginox. Always had, likely always would. He had the feeling this Hybrid felt just the same—their kind were natural enemies, after all. Mephitis' grin crept back as it leaned back up to a more proper sitting position on the chair. "And what pray tell is your name, white one?"

"Frost," he replied after a brief moment. His identity wasn't exactly in need of protection anymore. "I'm a Barioth Hybrid."

"That's one of those muddy things, right?" the Zinogre Hybrid asked with a raised eyebrow. "No offense, but you look _way_ too pretty to be rolling around in that shit."

"You are thinking of _Barroth,_ you fool. _Barioth_ are Pseudo-Wyverns that live in cold regions," Regina corrected. "How you could make that blunder with Gale around here is simply asinine." Tyrell let out a dismissive grunt and shrugged while the Rathian Hybrid turned her gaze to Frost, then to Mephitis. "How interesting… you two share a common home in the Tundra. The same cannot be said for many of us."

"Oh believe me, this meeting is truly _delightful,_ " Mephitis smiled venomously. Frost returned its 'look' with an icy glare. If any were suspect, this Gigginox Hybrid was easily at the top of the list.

"How did I come to be here?" Frost asked, looking away towards the other three Hybrids. "Where is this place?"

"Southern coast of the Venatorian mainland," Ripley answered. "Fifty miles west of Port Tanzia."

"Perhaps more accurately, what's _left_ of Port Tanzia," Regina added. "Lord Neptune and Gale brought you here some three months ago. Mephitis had not yet joined us then, and Ripley had been otherwise occupied at the time—"

"Catching food for all of you to eat, like usual."

"You are excused for the interruption."

"Oh, sure, so fish boy gets a pass," Tyrell scoffed.

"Because he is _endearing,_ not _aggravating,_ unlike a certain mangy wolf _._ Anyways… your wounds were nothing short of disastrous."

"And coming from miss 'Queen of Flames' herself, that's _saying_ something!"

"Then Tanzia was lost…" Frost muttered, clenching his fist. "But three whole months… What of Dire Miralis? The dark dragon? And the man controlling it, Balestra? What has happened in the world since then?"

"Nothing of particular interest to myself. I do not know anything of those names, though I happened to survey the ruins some weeks ago while taking a chance to stretch my wings. A rather large body lies on the beachfront—'dark dragon' is a very good way to describe it. Unfortunately the air there was… quite uncomfortable, so I refrained from getting too close. Ripley, you mentioned seeing a ship heading away from Tanzia the day Lord Neptune brought Frost to us, did you not? Do you recall anything about it?"

"Large. Lots of guns. Packed full of people. Smelled of dead and dying. _Forever Breeze_ painted on the side all fresh and sloppy like." The Plesioth Hybrid paused for a moment and cocked his head to the side. "No frogs."

If a ship left Tanzia, and Miralis' body was lying on the Tainted Sea… then that meant they had succeeded in the end, didn't it? Balestra had been stopped, Miralis killed? But how could that have happened? Viper had been the only one remaining after his fall… had that gluttonous, flirtatious archer actually managed to fell Balestra himself? No, that wasn't possible. Even knowing the kind of magical power he wielded, Viper was the weakest of team Storm. He lacked the same physical aptitude of a Hybrid, and at least Wes could reach similar levels to himself and Snow with his Demon and 'Spirit' Modes. He was certainly formidable, but it was unlikely Viper would have lasted long, if at all. So… what had occurred?

And more importantly, had Snow survived?

"Ripley." The Plesioth Hybrid jerked his head towards him upon being addressed. "The scents from that ship. Do you recall any others?"

"Mmm…" The Hybrid closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths through his nose, and after a few moments his eyes flicked open. "I wasn't on it. Only remember a few stood out. There was an old one, a sorta burnt-out one, a leafy one… mmm. An angry, spicy one, one that was all bubbly… and one kinda like you. Cool, minty. Little lighter than you, actually. Nicer. Not sure who was alive though. Lots of death in the air."

"Then she at least made it away from Tanzia…" Frost muttered. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to know, but if Snow had been aboard the _Forever Breeze,_ there was a chance she had managed to return to Loc Lac and receive treatment, wasn't there? He hoped that was the case, at least… He remained quiet for the rest of the meal as he mulled over what he had learned. A lot could happen in three months, and if the others had survived, chances were they believed he was dead or missing. He needed to return to Loc Lac, to Snow. He couldn't allow her to face the Guild on her own. They had promised to do so together, and he wouldn't go back on that. He wouldn't condemn her to that fate.

As the meal began to wind down, though, a thunderous pair of footsteps echoed into the chamber from one of the halls. At once Ripley shifted to the side and into his chair, Mephitis slid down from its perch, and even Tyrell pulled his feet from the table—at just the sound, all three were sitting almost as attentively as Regina. Frost merely furrowed his brow and focused on the tunnel the echoing stomps were coming from. Several seconds passed as the sound drew nearer and nearer. He sensed incredible power, greater than any he had known before save Balestra and Dire Miralis. After almost half a minute, a massive figure strode into the chamber.

Massive. This Hybrid, was massive. Whereas Ripley was maybe a foot taller than Frost, this man must have stood almost five feet over the Plesioth Hybrid at _least._ His height was matched by a bulky and powerful build, visible under the thick ivory-hue armor plates he wore on his chest, forearms, and legs. His visible flesh was scarred in numerous places, telling tales of battles from many years. A dark scale mail tunic hung low to just over his knees, patterned by intricate blue-green markings and writing unfamiliar to Frost's eyes. Hanging low from his chin and over much of his chest was a thick, full white beard that practically seemed to glow when the light from the ceiling met it. He had only a single eye—a peculiar pale gold orb, with a dark ring surrounding his diamond shaped pupil, stared ahead from the left side of his face. The right side wasn't cut out or missing from a battle, though. It appeared as though skin had just 'grown over' the socket. Two large rings were visible on his head, one significantly larger than the other: the one on the right remained above his brow and on his scalp, while the other seemed to stretch over the missing eye and most of the side of his head.

Frost's eyes widened at the man's appearance. He'd heard tell of Wyverians that could grow large, but he'd seen very few that could match or exceed him height-wise… and this man was easily twice as tall as he. He had heard tell that Wyverians could reach such heights as well, but those were rumors he had always dismissed as falsehoods. This, though, he could not just wave off as fiction. The very air around this Hybrid just seemed to _demand_ respect, to confer authority. At once, Frost knew—this entire place had been created by him. This was his domain. Here, he was king.

At this massive Hybrid's side was a black-haired woman, only truly discernable as a Hybrid by her diamond-shaped pupils. She had incredibly long waist-length black hair streaked with tannish-brown strands. Her bangs hung low over the right side of her face, partially obscuring her eye from view. Her features were sharp and her expression focused, her face betraying no thoughts or emotions to him. She walked with an attentive gait, her glowing green eyes seeming to capture every movement in the room—she remained silent even when their eyes briefly met. She wasn't particularly armed or armored, though: her garb consisted of black robes hemmed with orange and possessing a furry peach-colored collar, matched by the wide belt around her hips and her sleeve cuffs. The robes hung down to her ankles but remained open on the sides, showing deep red leggings and boots that matched her robes. From her belt hung a short, thick bladed sword of an indigo color.

Despite her significantly smaller stature she managed to keep pace with him, and even conferred a manner of authority herself. Still, Frost thought there was almost something… familiar about her. Side by side they strode into the chamber and approached the table, with the larger Hybrid seating himself in the equally-massive chair at its head, while the woman chose to take a seat to his right.

"'twas just another rumor this time, I am afraid," the bearded Hybrid sighed. "Fortunately our kin hidden in the forest are still well. Reclusive as usual, but well." His voice seemed… ancient. Not weary, but knowledgeable. And of course, commanding, though not in the same manner as Regina. His was… absolute, by comparison. His eye flicked upwards towards Frost, and the Barioth Hybrid shifted back in his seat slightly at a mere glance. Was that… fear? He took a moment to shake the idea from his mind as a long, low breath escaped the old Hybrid's lips. "But, it seems the white one has awoken at last. That is worth far more than the disappointment of another false lead. How fare you?"

"…Well." Frost blinked. What was this feeling? It was like he was compelled to answer in spite of himself.

"It gladdens my heart to hear. I know better than most how resilient our kind are, but some wounds are impossible to come back from. It seems even the one you suffered was not quite enough to put you down, though. Your strength is most impressive."

"T-thank you." Just what _was_ this man?

"I do hope the others have been accommodating," the ancient Hybrid continued, his gaze sweeping around to the others at the table. As he watched, even the others seemed to shudder under this elder Hybrid's gaze. Theirs were not looks of discomfort, though. It was… difficult for him to understand.

"But of course," Regina replied after a few moments. "We simply enjoyed a meal with our new brother. Frost is not much for conversation, but he is… agreeable, I suppose."

"Ah, Frost, is it?" The Hybrid's eye once more shifted back to him, and Frost was compelled to look back attentively. "A fitting name. I am Neptune, Hybrid of the great elder dragon of the ocean, Ceadeus. I welcome you to my home here, fellow child of beasts."

"An elder dragon…? I never considered the possibility," Frost muttered, earning a deep chuckle from the bearded Hybrid.

"Yes, just as I never considered the likelihood of Hybrids being able to live within the walls of Venatoria's capital city!" Neptune laughed. "Truly, that was a rumor to pursue. 'twas a good thing we did—had Gale and I not arrived in Tanzia when we did, the chance of you surviving that fall from the lighthouse were…"

"Nonexistent," the dark-haired woman said with cool indifference as Neptune's eye trailed towards her. "Even with our help slowing your fall and cushioning the impact with the sea, your survival was not guaranteed. That wound you had suffered was by all rights fatal. Lord Neptune had to expend much effort to secure your life, you know."

Frost narrowed his eyes at her as the words left her lips. Her tone seemed calm and controlled, but there was a sort of condescending, critical, almost insulting underlayer there too. She simply returned his glare with her focused, unshifting green-eyed stare. A sort of exchange happened between them—like a wordless, unspoken connection. From it he was able to recall some of what had occurred before he had fallen unconscious. A black and orange blur, colliding with him and dragging him away from the lighthouse before he could collide with the ground. That blur must have been this woman… and the glowing waters he landed in must have been Neptune's doing.

"…You have my thanks for that, then," Frost said after a few moments of silence between them. "I must know, though… what occurred at Tanzia? How was Dire Miralis stopped?"

"A fair question. Miralis was a plague on Tanzia in the long-forgotten past as well… that peninsula had quite the history. That the dragon was felled at all is… miraculous. I must apologize, though. In truth, I know very little of the recent events surrounding the Battle of Tanzia, save for what I gathered from my own brief involvement there," Neptune admitted, shaking his head slowly. "We did not linger long after stabilizing you. The presence of that dragon was undeniable. Why, Gale here nearly turned tail before we even arrived!"

"T-that is not…" The woman, Gale, paused and shut her eyes tightly with an ashamed look while the elder Hybrid let out another hearty chuckle. Even the others allowed themselves a short laugh or smile. "That… is hardly what Frost is asking about."

"Yes yes… As it were, I was rather occupied with stabilizing you at the time. Most of the port had already been lit ablaze, the skies darkened as though the end times were upon us… truly a mortifying sight. But amidst it all, there was a brilliant golden flash atop the lighthouse. A presence equal… perhaps even greater than the dragon's appeared as if from nowhere. I witnessed little of the battle that occurred—I didn't truly need to. I _felt_ it. Two colossal forces clashed within the lighthouse, and the structure soon collapsed from it all. The mighty Tanzian Lighthouse, standing proud for millennia… reduced to naught but rubble in minutes."

"I saw two figures emerge from the ruins, both terrifyingly powerful," the dark-haired Hybrid continued, shuddering at the recollection. "One garbed in dark armor, the other in brilliant gold. Just before they clashed again, the presence at the Tainted Sea seemed to vanish, only to merge with the one in dark armor. The battle was… otherworldly. It was impossible to remain there for long. I can infer that the one in golden armor succeeded, however, as not long after Lord Neptune and I departed for our haven here to continue treating you in a less dangerous location, the skies cleared, and the dark presence vanished almost entirely."

A figure in golden armor…? None in Frost's group wore anything like that. No one in the force that traveled to Tanzia did, for that matter. And this… otherworldly power? What did it all mean? None of it made any sense!

"That is about as much as we know about what happened that day, however," Neptune said, drawing Frost out of his thoughts. "As we have told you that piece of information, though, I would like to ask something similar of you, Frost. Please, tell us—how did a Hybrid come to be in Loc Lac, the very center of hunter society within this country, in this day and age? What is your tale?"

Though a large part of him wished to say nothing, the authoritative power, the commanding presence of this elder Hybrid was impossible to stave off. He began from the start—the origin of himself and his twin sister, their early lives in Kalvata Village, and the subsequent destruction of the town, followed by their efforts to blend into the world of hunters in an effort to both escape the past and, at least in the case of Snow, to right the wrongs they had committed. He spoke of being contacted by Balestra, the head of the Master Corps, and how his sister was convinced that the best way for beings as powerful as they were to escape notice was to hide amongst the strongest hunters in the country. He spoke of the years spent there, the bonds forged between the Hybrids and their hunter allies, their eventual discovery, the revelation of Balestra's plot, and finally how he journeyed to Tanzia in an effort to defeat Dire Miralis and Balestra himself… only to be struck off the top of the tower after seeing Snow fall in battle. All the while, the others all listened with fascinated expressions—perhaps it was their origin, how he and Snow had become Hybrids when they were but cubs, unlike the 'norm'. It could very well have been the world of hunters they lived in, or even the people he met and came to respect within the desert city. Whatever the reason, he held their attention for hours, it seemed, until at last he fell silent, his tale complete.

"My… yours is certainly an interesting life!" Regina smiled, pressing her hands together in delight. "Truly, truly fascinating. Oh, I do hope that sister of yours survived that whole endeavor. She seems positively delightful from how you describe her."

"And how she kicked that other fool Hybrid's ass?! Hah! I almost want a go at her myself!" Tyrell laughed eagerly, earning a vicious glare from Frost. The Zinogre Hybrid didn't seem to notice, though. "And you say the two of you are about even, right? That settles it! Once you get back into fighting shape, we're going at it! I've gotta taste that power for myself!"

"Are my kind truly that infuriating to humans?" Ripley muttered, his expression remaining somewhat forlorn ever since the Barioth Hybrid's mention of a particular hunt for a Plesioth his team had completed. "I'm not quite sure how to take that."

"I'm quite certain dear Frost means no hard feelings towards you," Mephitis assured with its disconcerting grin. Its 'gaze' shifted from the Plesioth Hybrid to Gale then. "Darling Gale, you seemed troubled. Did something from dear Frost's tale unnerve you? Perhaps the bit about another Sand Barioth Hybrid like yourself, hmm?"

The green-eyed Hybrid shot a deathly glare towards Mephitis, her pupils narrowing into dangerously thin slits while her hand on the table clenched hard against the stone, scratching lines through the stone. A moment later she pushed herself up, turned, and began to walk towards one of the exits.

"I've heard enough."

Gale disappeared into one of the passages then, and the others glanced between each other with confused expressions… all save for Neptune, who simply let out a heavy sigh. His expression was knowing, unsurprised, yet sympathetic.

"Enlightening as this has been, the hour grows late," the elder Hybrid stated. "Frost, do focus on recovering your strength."

"I don't have that luxury," he grimaced, pushing himself up from the table and shaking his head clear. What was he _doing?_ This was a waste of his time! While he was sitting around chatting with these other Hybrids, his sister was… he had no clue. Suffering under the Guild, believing him to be dead, perhaps even at death's door herself? None of it was anything he would allow to stand. "I have to return to Loc Lac. I must rejoin my sister."

"Even were it in my interest to allow that, you are not in a condition to travel all that way yourself. Hybrid though you may be, you are weakened now—I doubt you'd be a match for a single one of us in your state, let alone the beasts outside of this haven."

At those words, every Hybrid turned towards Frost. A short zap of thunder sparked across Tyrell's chest as he grinned widely, while Regina flicked a small ball of flames around her fingers with a bemused smile. Mephitis licked its lips as if in anticipation, mouth glistening purple with poison, and Ripley didn't do much of anything—at least, Frost didn't realize he had until he felt a pool of water form under his feet. He furrowed his brow at the whole lot of them—his prideful side refused to accept his words as anything but a threat, but if he had learned any lessons from Snow, it was to evaluate the reality of the situation. The reality here was that he was outmatched. And… truth be told, the events of the day had left his already-weakened body feeling even more exhausted.

Reluctantly, Frost turned from the table with a frustrated growl and made his way towards the tunnel his 'room' was in. He wouldn't let them keep him from returning to Snow's side. Even if he had to fight his way out, he would. Until then, he'd rest, he would recover, and he would ready himself.

* * *

 **Author Notes: Please review! Surprise surprise, I lied to you all once again! Turns out Frost was alive all along! You didn't really think I'd kill off a character like him so unceremoniously, did you?**

 **So this is the one and only real DLC story I'm writing for The Master Corps. I had plenty others in mind, but I decided they weren't exactly vital to the characters nor did I want to put off my next big work for much longer. Whiteout, on the other hand, is quite important for the development of both Frost and Hybrids in general. I realized that I had very few instances to include many Hybrids beyond Frost and Snow in the main story… and the ones I did include were all antagonists of some kind. So, this story exists to give Hybrids a lot more context to the world of TMC and explain how they fit into everything. As for Frost, this story offers a greater look into his character, as of the four main protagonists of The Master Corps, he was the one who received the least amount of development and focus in the story. I'd argue that characters like Ruby and Sabrina even got more development than he did.**

 **But that is subject to change, my faithful readers!**

 **I have been toying around with how to portray this DLC story for a while though. My original idea was for it to take place years after the Battle of Tanzia, where the Guild had actually recovered Frost's body (who had still been rescued by Gale and Neptune, but not taken back to the haven), albeit faking his death and giving him a new name to go along with his job. That concept offered a greater view into the changes of the world years after TMC's conclusion and Frost was supposed to be suffering something of an identity crisis that threatened to drive him feral, only for the Hybrids who had saved him years before to make contact with him again, offering wisdom in exchange for a few favors. I decided that the world changes could be saved for the next story though, and the plot I had been writing was really just a big excuse to have Frost fight other antagonist Hybrids… overall it just felt unsatisfying, so I scrapped it and started anew with what you've just begun reading.**

 **So I'm sure you noticed a few Hybrids have some interesting features compared to Frost! Variants are an important focus of this chapter, as so far mostly only Pseudo wyvern Hybrids have appeared in TMC canon—the only exceptions being Aodhan and Hades, the latter of whom received a fair bit more attention than the former. So, to address that, I decided to take the Hybrid 'bosses' planned from the original version, as well as create a couple new ones, to cover more of the bases and better capture the diversity of the various Hybrid types. Tyrell and Mephitis (who is named after the minor Roman goddess of poisonous gases, NOT the genus of skunks) were the original 'bosses' Frost would fight, though they had different names. Regina is based off of a character I had been conceptualizing a fight for but never got it to work. Neptune and Gale are still in the roles they had originally. Ripley is the only wholly new character I made that doesn't have any affiliation with the original version… and honestly, I like him a lot.**

 **Lastly, I'd like to give a special shout out to both dashboardgecko for again being an amazing editor, and also to the artist Ming for designing the cover image of Frost!**

 **Anyways, that's enough of me prattling on. I hope you enjoyed, faithful readers! Thanks so much for your support! Look forward to the next chapter of Whiteout soon!**


	2. Knowledge

**The Master Corps: Whiteout**

 **By Thomas A. Hawk**

 **Edited by: dashboardgecko**

 **Monster Hunter is owned by Capcom. Any characters that appear in this story belong to me, myself, and I, unless otherwise stated.**

 **SPOILER WARNING!: This is a canonical side story taking place after the events of The Master Corps. If you have not read my previous work, I would advise you turn back and do so now, as Whiteout will reference characters, revelations and plot twists without ceremony. Otherwise, read at your own discretion.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Knowledge

Several months passed while Frost remained in Neptune's domain, recovering from his wounds and regaining his strength. The elder Hybrid's powers were as impressive as they were numerous—or rather, his craftiness in utilizing berries and other natural ingredients alongside his ability to manipulate water to create powerful salves and healing concoctions. He used his abilities in ways Frost never even thought possible—nulberries, slagtoth oil, herbs and mushrooms were common sights when he was mashing something together, and the effects they had were surprisingly pronounced.

With them Frost was able to recover much faster than he had thought possible, though in spite of it he still felt far from perfect—the few glimpses he caught of himself in still pools of water around the haven showed why. His body was still thin and weak from the months he had spent unconscious, and his injuries… well, given their severity he doubted the effects would go away quickly. The massive burn wound that crossed his chest over his shoulders and under his arms was a new addition to the scars that already covered his body, easily overshadowing every wound he had suffered yet, outright forcing him to pace himself while regaining his strength due to the intense pain it still caused him.

As much as he despised the idea of being kept from Loc Lac, though, he couldn't deny that his time spent here amongst other Hybrids was… enlightening. The only other times he'd interacted with his kind were with his sister—which hardly counted—and with Aodhan, which wasn't exactly a cordial encounter. Here, however, the Hybrids weren't attempting to tear each other apart. Fighting was quite commonplace, typically between Regina and Tyrell, but it never escalated into murder. They were scraps, fights meant more to sate their desire for conflict and keep their edges sharp than to truly end lives.

"It is true, our kind has always been more inclined towards violence than other races," Neptune had said during one visit earlier that month. "It has been so since the very beginning."

"You speak like this 'beginning' was long ago."

"For both our kind and myself, it was. As long ago as… hmm. Even I cannot say for certain. Since long before even the third era. Truly this world is an ancient place, ripe with knowledge from across the generations and filled with innumerable mysteries. Hybrids are one such mystery in these times, though this was not always the case. This recent resurgence is no small coincidence either. Interested, are you?"

"Snow and I have been in search of answers. Where we come from. Why we came to be. Supposedly Arroyo knew of such things."

"Yes, I recall your mention of his… 'altercation' with your twin. I can confirm his information is reliable. Came right from the source."

Frost had given the elder Hybrid a questioning look, though Neptune simply sighed. "Yes, I know of Arroyo, the damned fool. I had been lax in my attempts to recruit our brethren to join me here back then. It had been so very long since I had seen other Hybrids, I was not entirely certain how best to act yet… I was too lenient, though. Allowing him to go so easily was a terrible mistake. But, as much as I'm certain you wish to know about that specific tale, it is not mine to tell. I will only say that meeting—and what came of it—is why I prefer taking specific measures now."

"Measures such as abduction?"

"A strong word, though not quite untrue. I will not pretend that I am being fair by holding you here like this, but it was this or leave you in Tanzia, where I was uncertain if you would survive at all. Your case is hardly the worst I have had to deal with. In the past our kind were curious, intrigued by mankind and willing to live alongside the other races as equals… but now, many would rather pursue their own self-interests, or cling to vendettas against humans for conflicts from before shifting. Those of feral minds are nearly impossible to persuade, even for me… For the sake of our kind's place in the world I've had to put down more than a few of our own. This state of affairs is certainly a far cry from the distant past."

"…Exactly how old are you?"

Neptune smiled at his inquiry, chuckling deeply and filling the cavern with an echo of his laugh. "Well over a thousand years, Frost… the exact number escaped me somewhere along the way. I witnessed the fall of the Hybrids firsthand. I have existed here in solitude for several lifetimes, biding my time for when our kind would return and I might be able to fulfill my duty once more. I ask your cooperation, and in return, I will allow you to choose for yourself whether you remain here or return to your sister's side. I can promise now that regardless, I will arm you with all the knowledge I can offer."

And knowledge was precisely what Neptune provided. When he wasn't busy searching for other Hybrids directly, or tending to the others that were gathered here, the elder Hybrid had explained precisely who the Hybrids were.

"I'm certain you've heard many tales of Wyverians being the origin of hunters. Initially viewing humans as weak and inferior, choosing to hunt the beasts that threatened them out of pity more than anything. As it were, the Wyverians did hunt for a time… but it was after the Hybrids disappeared. Originally, our kind were those that defended humanity. Wyverns, creatures of all kinds—we would hear the calls of the world, pulling those who would become Hybrids to the focal points of the world's magic. The towers that dot the land are markers for those same places. The abundance of energy centralized there attracts powerful monsters, but for those chosen to become Hybrids, that is where the Shifts would occur. Such is the reason for our names. Once beasts, now in human guise. Our hearts remain the same, our bodies differ."

"Then the history of the Wyverians is wrong."

"Hmm… in some aspects, yes. We were often referred to as 'wyvern people' in ancient times, a title many in recent years seem to assume refers to the Wyverians in ancient texts and engravings. Understandable really, events have a habit of changing and losing their truths over time. The Wyverians did exhibit some traits akin to us Hybrids though, namely physical strength and some 'unique' body aspects, as well as particular affinity for magic, and they did take up the mantle of hunters when our kind began to disappear."

"You've mentioned that several times. Why did the Hybrids just… vanish?"

"Aye, that's a miserable tale… You and your allies in Tanzia faced the dark dragon Dire Miralis, truly a threat capable of bringing the world to its knees… but that beast is not the only one of its ilk. The dark dragons are beings shrouded in mystery, but their goals are clear—subjugation. They all seek to dominate the world in their own ways. For Gogmazios ages past, it was attrition and subterfuge. For Miralis, it was through hellfire and destruction. And for the Alatreon, the cause of our near-extinction… it was through cunning and manipulation."

The Alatreon? That was a name most everyone knew to an extent, though in recent years he'd only heard mention once from Balestra, and Wes' father York mentioned numerous times on the way to Port Tanzia. Originally thought to be a powerful species of elder dragon, the old hunter had revealed it was a far more devious and sinister creature with mastery over numerous elements, and intelligence to rival even the smartest beings… and according to York, it had nearly perfected a form of immortality.

"You seem to recognize the name. That beast was the most intelligent of the dark dragons… understanding that in spite of its own power it could not stand up to the might of so many powerful foes, nor simply outlast them, the Alatreon instead set its sights on the towers. Going there, it would cast a spell of its own—sealing the world's magic away, preventing it from surging to the surface. All races—humans, Wyverians, Lynians, all lost the ability to use magic themselves without intensive training and, shall we say, dangerous methods. For Hybrids… we lost our only means of coming to be. The Shifts could not occur. So long as the Alatreon's soul existed, the spells would never break. It was only a matter of time before it began to hunt our kind, influencing our own to turn on their brethren with the false promise of salvation. It was a bloody, horrific time… I was forced to retreat to this haven to escape the dragon's wrath and conceal my presence. I am not being humble about my power—I am more powerful than any other Hybrid in this country, but that opponent was one even I could not scratch. So I chose to wait, to study, to prepare. And yet… there was no weakness I could find. No means to exploit, save for the long lost holy weapons bestowed upon the Princess Sorelia and her twelve crusaders by the gods eons ago.

"It would appear fate favored man in the end," Neptune mused during another meeting some weeks later, while Frost was in the midst of training to regain his strength. "The beast was felled two decades ago by Sorelia's descendant, though I do not know precisely how. I traveled to the ruins of the beast's desert stronghold to perhaps find some answers, but alas, nothing remained. Had only I been there to help, to witness such a clash…"

"I know the man. He is formidable. I must say that I find your tale… interesting," the Barioth Hybrid grunted, striking a deep crack through a stone slab in front of him with another powerful blow. "An ancient ocean dragon traversing the desert. It sounds quite unnatural."

"Nearly as unnatural as a Barioth of the Tundra living in the center of that very same desert," the elder chuckled. "You are correct, though. It is certainly not an easy task. And yet, look at those creatures we once were. Remarkable, no? Carving out a niche, adapting when necessary, evolving into new forms in order to survive. Barioths are one such species. Originating from the far reaches of the freezing Tundra, yet spreading even into the arid Sandy Plains. We can learn much through observation of these truths. And if one such as yourself can manage so well under such conditions, imagine how I can fare. I am certainly no fish out of water."

Given the elder Hybrid's commanding presence and impressive physique, Frost was inclined to believe him. Still, his presence was anything but subtle—that seemed to be what Gale was for. Unlike the other Hybrids gathered in this haven save for himself, she possessed an appearance far more akin to a human. Regina had her wings, Ripley his fins… and Mephitis was anything but natural to look at, especially when the bandages over its 'eyes' came off to reveal two pulsing violet orbs in their place. The Sand Barioth Hybrid was able to infiltrate towns without drawing much attention, pick up on rumors and tales pertaining to Hybrids for her and the others to more closely investigate on their own, as well as obtain useful resources and provisions for the rest of the group gathered there. Even beyond that she was often coming and going to maintain connections with Hybrids out in the wilds that had agreed to work with Neptune, but refused to live in the haven for their own reasons. As such, finding a chance to speak with her was a challenge, given she disappeared more often than Neptune did.

There was one occasion, though. After a meal some weeks earlier he had been returning to his chamber, only to find her waiting along the way. Their exchange had begun wordlessly. Frost came to a halt, narrowing his eyes at the woman standing opposite the entrance to his room. She pushed off and cocked her head to the side while returning his look, though her expression remained as stoic as every other time he had seen her.

"Need something?"

"Perhaps. Tell me Frost, that sister of yours—Snow, was it? What exactly does she mean to you?"

"Everything."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Care to explain why you're interested?"

The Sand Barioth Hybrid's eyes narrowed, but her expression remained the same. "I have my reasons. It is clear you and Snow care tremendously for one another, but to exactly what extent? Why are you so fixated on returning to her side? Are you so enamored with your own twin that you would willingly run back into the arms of those who would hold you captive and make you do as they wish, just to be near her?"

Frost scowled at her tone. "What you are insinuating disgusts me."

"And yet you have me believing that to be the case with the way you constantly speak of her. Can you not exist on your own, apart from her?"

"I..."

The icy-eyed Hybrid's voice trailed off. Loath as he was to admit it to another, he did rely on Snow, perhaps even too much. Were it not for her, he doubted he would have survived so long out there. He'd never have lasted in Loc Lac… if he had even been able to get there in the first place. No, there wasn't a thing in his life that Snow hadn't influenced in some way. Gale's remark had pierced deep. Could he really say he was capable of that, or would that be a lie? He could not decide, and so said nothing.

"I see." Gale's words were cold and sharp. "Pitiful."

She began to walk down the hall towards him, brushing past without so much as a look. He let out a low breath and glanced downwards as she continued her stride, though the sound of her footsteps stopped the moment the first word of his response left his lips.

"I learned something from the man that protected Snow and I in our youth. He said to always have someone you can trust fully. That man, Kodiack… he was worthy of respect. But with his death, there was only one other individual I had. One person I have always been able to trust in life. Through every battle, every journey, Snow has been at my side, and I at hers. Snow is as much a part of me as an arm, or a leg—no, neither are significant enough.

"Perhaps, in a way, you are correct about me. To exist without my sister in life would be the same as death. Without her I would have died a hundred times over. Without her I would not have survived in this world. Not because of her strength, or her skill. She has always been… sociable. Agreeable. The kind of individual that can befriend nearly anyone. I am none of those things. Snow may as well be the half that completes me… and _NOT_ because we are… 'lovers', or whatever humans say. I find the very notion more repulsive than Mephitis."

He turned his head to look over his shoulder at Gale, directing a sharp, piercing gaze into her eyes.

"Does that answer your question, woman?"

Gale was silent for a while then, folding her arms and bringing her hand up to her chin in thought.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you…" she muttered. Eventually she let out a short sigh and allowed her arms to drop. "My apologies, Frost. It was improper to insinuate what I did. As recompense, I will try to find out what has become of you sister when next I travel to Loc Lac. You have my word."

He raised an eyebrow out of surprise and intrigue as she turned and began to walk away once more. "I… appreciate that. Why though? I did not ask it of you."

"You are an honest soul, Frost. I can respect that."

He had often wondered at the conversation, as well as the strange sense of familiarity she brought to his mind. He never recalled having met her before—he knew he would remember such an event—yet he was reminded of _something_ every time he saw her. As for what that was, though, he couldn't happen a guess. Gale came up as a topic in some other conversations he had with the Hybrids around the haven, though supposedly she was as much of an enigma to most of the others as she was to him.

"She has been here since before I even stepped foot in these halls," Regina had said before hurling an orb of flames at a tall spire. They were standing in one of the rooms higher up in the complex that naturally opened up into the side of a cliff, showing the first sky he had seen since awakening. Far below the overlook the ocean's waves crashed against the tall, rocky stone cliff, though the sound that reached the cave was little more than a distant echoing splash. He appreciated the sight of sun and sky, though he did wish he had found a better moment to speak with the Rathian Hybrid than now—the waves of heat her fire magic let off were far less than comfortable, leading to him standing a fair distance away.

"And precisely when did you first come here?" he grunted, waving an arm through the air in front of him to stave off a wave of heat with a fan of ice element. "What were the circumstances?"

"Ho hum… nearly a year or so ago, I believe. I first shifted into a Hybrid in the Flooded Forest region a few months before. I was mostly content going about my business as usual, adapting to my new body and abilities. Few beasts of the woods posed much of a threat once I achieved a greater understanding of my powers, and those that did were far too infrequent to be called 'threats'. That changed one day—I happened across a drunken hunter deep in the woods. Strayed from his party, as it were. This being my first meeting with a human, I was naturally quite curious… until he began to make the most abhorring advances."

"Ah. I believe my sister may sympathize with you... At least partly."

"Truly? The more you speak of her, the more eager to meet her I grow. What was her response to such advances?"

"Indifference, mostly. I suppose it was easy for her. She has had more experience with humans… and affections for one in particular."

"'Affections' you say? My, she truly is a peculiar case… I will admit that my own response was less than ideal by comparison. I sent that fool back to his kind sober, and with half his face melted off as punishment for his insolent behavior. That only seemed to draw the ire of the others, though, and soon enough scores of hunters were scouring the woods I called home in search of the 'dragon lady'. Lord Neptune and lady Gale reached me just after I had dispatched some hunters that set an ambush. Admittedly, I had been wounded quite badly in the altercation… humans are capable of much greater things than I had known at the time. Regardless, the two of them offered me a haven, and I happened to believe my chances with them were greater than they were out there. While I do miss my territory at times, I cannot say I have been disappointed. Here I have food, a space to myself, the chance to spread my wings and soar to my heart's content… and others strong enough to ensure I do not grow bored."

The Rathian Hybrid had gone on to explain that Ripley had already been present upon her arrival as well, a fact that had most certainly earned Frost's interest. Seeking out the Plesioth Hybrid proved difficult, though—he preferred to spend his time in the water, only coming up to bring in food, reports about passing ships, and occasionally peculiar treasures he happened upon in the depths of the sea, such as old cargo from sunken ships (that was where most of the eating utensils had come from). Upon at last confronting him by a large pool of water in the lower reaches of the sprawling cave system, though, Frost found out that Ripley's origin was nearly as simple as the Piscine Hybrid was.

"Seven years ago. Transformed in a tower underneath some island I had been swimming around after I felt the 'call'. Was still getting used to my body, and a fishing boat happened by with a net. Didn't see it, got tangled up, accidentally took the entire ship down on me when I struggled. There were enough fish trapped in the net with me to keep me fed for a few days. Neptune found me and helped me get out of the net, and I decided I owed him. So, here I am."

"How could you not free yourself from a simple fishing net?"

"Have you seen the kinds of fish humans reel in with those things? They're much stronger than you'd expect. Anyways, I helped Neptune spruce this place up a bit. Even got my own personal spot underwater—I'd invite you to visit, but you would drown. Neptune brought Gale back with him one month, maybe five or six years ago. She was pretty roughed up then, all bloody and delirious, looked like she hadn't eaten in months. Kinda like you, only less crispy. She never really talks about herself. Neptune doesn't either."

"And you never once questioned that."

"Never cared enough. I only ask things if they matter to me. For instance, back to the topic of nets, is it true what you said before about those… 'anti-Plesioth harpoons'?"

He only really went out of his way to converse with Tyrell aside from them. The Zinogre Hybrid was still eager to come to blows with him, and to an extent Frost was excited as well—Tyrell might have had a big mouth, but his love of battle far exceeded the others there. When his wounds had mended more completely, he hoped Tyrell would be his first opponent.

As for Mephitis… even if Frost hadn't gone out of his way to avoid the Gigginox Hybrid, the pale-skinned being much preferred to keep to itself, retreating to the darker reaches of the haven, though never seeming far off when the others needed it to make an appearance for one reason or another. The mere sight of it made his skin crawl, though as far as he'd seen, it didn't pose a threat to any of the others… it was as interested in their kind as the rest. That did little to put his mind at ease, though—he couldn't shake the feeling that the Gigginox Hybrid was up to something whenever it was out of sight. It led to more than a few sleepless nights initially, and even now he slept with one eye open.

"Ol' sluggy? Came in maybe a month or two after you did," Tyrell shrugged before rolling his shoulder to stretch. "Creepy little thing, yeah? Can never read 'em. Far as I know, it's still pretty new though—here, and as a Hybrid. I don't know its story, just that its plenty strong. Not strong enough to keep me from punching its lights out, but strong. Let's hope you last a bit longer, eh?"

"If you can stand afterwards, I will be impressed. What of yourself?"

"I shifted around the Misty Peaks. Tried going to the tower a few times, but some old Raths had decided to bunker down and make it their territory. Made getting close kinda rough, but a couple hunters chased 'em off, so I got my chance. Won't get to fight either of them now though, so I just settle for Reggie. As for how I ended up here, well… eh, I got close with a kid from a village around there, saved him from an Arzuros. Thought I'd look after the little guy, keep the village safe. Course, then word got 'round that I was there. Didn't matter if I was helping or not—they wanted me out. Coulda taken 'em easy, but… well, didn't want to mess the kid up too bad seeing that, so I backed off. Left my sword with the little guy as a parting gift, then I went on my merry way. Neptune and Gale came not long after, chasing rumors, and here I am."

"How… touching. I would not expect that of you."

"And wouldn't ya know, you're the sixth one to tell me that. Guess I'm just full of surprises," the Zinogre Hybrid grinned, his sharp teeth glinting in the light of the glowing stones above.

Frost had never once considered himself sociable, yet these other Hybrids… intrigued him. He _wanted_ to learn about them. He never considered himself particularly sociable or curious before, among humans, but here just felt… different. They all came from the far reaches of the country, each with their own story and interactions with the other races. Yet, there was no animosity here (save his own towards Mephitis). They got along. Small in number, perhaps… but were greater numbers possible? Could this eventually become a town of sorts, like Moga, or Loc Lac, or Tanzia? With Hybrids instead of humans? Other Hybrids existed outside this place too, so what of other possible havens? He couldn't help but wonder what Snow might make of this place, these Hybrids. Likely she would be elated about the possibility of such a place existing… though further consideration of that swayed him otherwise. She was much too curious, much too close to humans to say that living amongst other Hybrids would be enough for her. She would be interested and certainly excited, but she would still prefer to keep company with them.

That was perhaps the one thing about Snow he had never really understood. What drew her to humans? In spite of everything they had witnessed, every act committed against them, why did she continue to trust in them so wholeheartedly? He knew humans that were trustworthy, but they were few in number and had to earn it from him first. Snow was a different story altogether, and it puzzled him continuously. It even puzzled her the few times they had spoken about it in the past. He felt that she _wanted_ to be human, and struggled at believing she was human, but with monster inside her. She didn't seem to grasp that they were both at once, something wholly different from man or beast—at least, she hadn't until maybe after her fight with Arroyo. Now, though, amongst fellow Hybrids, he felt more certain than ever that there truly was no way they could ever be considered 'human'. A pair of wings, fins and gills, and Mephitis' 'eyes' said as much.

Though even all of this felt strange. What purpose did it serve them to just hide away in this cave system, pretending like the world outside didn't fear and despise them? How could the others feel so complacent while wasting the time away in meaningless conflicts with one another, cramped within the darkness of a seaside cavern? They ate, they talked, they fought… but why? Could that not be done anywhere? Was this supposed to feel like a haven, or a prison?

That was what he was approaching Neptune to discuss now, after having spent nearly half a year in this place. By then his wounds had more fully mended, and his strength had returned. He desired to leave, and he knew he would do so… with or without all the knowledge the elder Hybrid had to offer. But he still couldn't let that one question remain unanswered:

Why were they here?

The Barioth Hybrid walked straight ahead through the passageway to where Neptune's own quarters were, deep in the back reaches of the haven at the end of the long passage behind his own personal seat at the central chamber's table. The hall was far bigger than the others, likely to better accommodate the massive Ceadeus Hybrid's size, though it had the effect of filling the tunnel with a constant drone of watery splashes. And the books! Scores of texts were stacked high on shelves and tables lining the walls, placed at various intervals in the tunnel. Some bound in leather, others curled up into scrolls... It might as well have been a miniature library, really. It took a little over two minutes of walking through the hall of texts, but he eventually came to the opening that led into Neptune's chamber.

It was an immense, circular room, half of which was taken up by a deep pool of water. The remaining half rest on dry land, and had seats and tables carved from stalagmites and stone, though none were quite as impressive as the 'throne' just before the pool in the back. Easily as large as the seat at the table in the main chamber, but much more intricately carved. Runes of a sort were etched into its surface, as were many graceful curves and sweeps evocative of the sea itself. It was perhaps the only thing in the entire haven that could be described as 'decorative'. Despite a clear view of the entire chamber, the elder Hybrid was nowhere to be found. There was someone seated at a smaller table nearby, though.

"Greetings to you, Frost."

He replied with a short nod. He hadn't seen Gale in quite some time, actually. The green-eyed Hybrid was holding a book, though had closed it when Frost entered.

"Where is he?"

"Lord Neptune just departed to clear away some rubble that fell over the underwater passage. He should return soon enough."

"Figures. And where have you been?"

"Most recently, you mean? I was investigating the situation in Loc Lac. Things there are… disturbed. The world is changing, and it seems the capital is the point on which it all turns. Many fascinating rumors and stories to be heard, though travel has become more difficult with Hybrids becoming common knowledge." The Sand Barioth Hybrid lifted a pair of goggles with dark lenses from her neck to display towards him. "Fortunately I can at least hide my tell beneath these."

"Loc Lac? Have you heard any word about my sister?"

"Yes, in fact. I was going to tell you after I spoke with Lord Neptune. Snow did survive her wounds from the Battle of Tanzia, and she was taken into Guild custody while she as recovering. I was unable to meet with her directly, but I caught sight of her heading towards Loc Lac's cemetery. She—and the rest of the city—believes you to be dead… and she most certainly grieves for you."

His eyes trailed down to the floor, and he felt a deep-seated tension leave his shoulders, allowing them to relax ever so slightly. That news lifted far more worry from his back than he'd ever thought he could feel. Snow lived. She was safe, even if only for the time being… that she was still alive was enough.

"Thank you."

"I need no thanks. I gave you my word, did I not?"

"You called me an honest soul before. I value that trait. That you are as good as your word is a comfort. So… Thank you, Gale."

She shook her head slowly in response, though a slight smile tugged at her lips. "I did not think you were capable of speaking with so heartfelt a tone." Her stoic expression returned soon after. "I did learn some truly fascinating news from your sister and her 'handler'… specifically about the Guild's plans for her. That is why I came to Lord Neptune before you."

"Care to elaborate?"

"Care to wait with me until his return so I need not say it all twice?"

Frost shot her a flat look, but let his shoulders drop before stepping further into the room and seating himself on the floor a short distance away. He felt her eyes on him the entire time, though, clearly still intent on conversing with him while they waited.

"Your arm. Where did all of those electrical burns come from?" she asked, a hint of curiosity in her tone.

"Self-inflicted."

"You did that all to yourself? For what purpose? Our kind are weak to thunder element. It must have hurt something awful."

"That's the price of my powers," Frost stated simply, flexing his hand and looking over the jagged scars running up and down his limb. Gale merely shot him a quizzical look, though.

"Your ice magic caused you… electrical burns? Forgive me, but I do not quite understand how that makes any sense."

"Not ice—thunder."

He lifted his arm up for her to see and focused, allowing blue bolts of electricity to jump out from his limb and fill the air around them with static. For once, Gale's expression completely shifted—her stoicism broke way to shock, and she gripped the back of her seat as though not to fall out of it. The sight almost amused him.

"You… you can use thunder element?" she asked incredulously as he allowed the voltage to die down, and he shook the feeling back into his arm. "But… that's… I don't… how?"

He simply shrugged in reply. "Always been able to. I doubt I'm the only one here that can—"

"Lord Neptune doesn't even have control over more than a single element," she said quickly, not taking her eyes off of him. "This is… why didn't you mention this before?!"

"None of you asked."

"…You've got to be joking."

"Yes, because I'm so well known for my sense of humor," he muttered dryly.

"Then all this time, whenever you spoke of your 'powers'… you were speaking of this as well." The Sand Barioth took a few moments to gather herself before speaking again. "Frost, no other Hybrid Lord Neptune and I have met have shown that kind of ability. We must speak to him of this at once."

"And it's so important that it takes priority over the news you had for him before?"

Gale shot him a short look, leading him to sigh and shake his head. Truth be told he had wondered about his thunder powers… long ago he just figured it was something some Hybrids just 'had'. His own ice powers had always felt lacking compared to Snow's, which he assumed was because of his thunder abilities. But not a single other Hybrid they had encountered exhibited this capability? That only made him question what he believed he knew about his abilities all over again. Gale too seemed perplexed by this, falling silent with a hand raised to her chin in thought.

There was silence between the two for several minutes. To his own surprise, it was Frost who broke that quiet. Maybe it was boredom, or curiosity, or… something else that drove him to ask. Regardless of the reason, the words left his lips:

"What is your story?"

His question shook her from her thoughts, and Gale glanced his way with a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"The others all have their stories. Where they came from, why they follow Neptune. I've heard it all from them. What's yours?"

Her expression hardened significantly then, breaking into a fierce scowl.

"I. Don't. Have one."

The venom in those words actually made him raise an eyebrow. She never seemed the type to lose her cool—sure, she was somewhat shaken by the reveal of his thunder powers, but her tone had remained relatively flat and composed. This was… unsettling, enough that the hairs on the back of his neck stood tall. And yet, it only furthered his intrigue.

"Ripley suggested otherwise. He mentioned—"

"I don't care _what_ that damned fish told you, I have no past!" Gale snarled, her pupils narrowing with anger. Her expression shifted suddenly to one of fury and resentment. "The only thing about myself that matters is who I am now. What I'm doing, _now._ To me, the past before 'Gale' may as well NOT EVEN EXIST!"

A massive gust of wind shot out from her as she screamed that last sentence at him, forcing him to cover his face from the ferocious tempest. The burst filled the entire room and funneled out into the hall, where the sounds of papers and books flapping into the air and falling to the ground could be heard. The few documents, plates, and eating utensils resting on the other tables in the room were flung through the air like feathers, and Frost even felt himself sliding back a few feet before eventually the winds died down. Gale had fallen silent, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths in an effort to collect herself. Her expression softened back to its calm and composed norm, and she opened her eyes, her pupils no longer the dangerous-looking slits they had been only moments earlier.

"I… apologize for that outburst. It was uncalled for."

After that tantrum, that's what she says? Without so much as an explanation? Frost actually found himself utterly flabbergasted. Perhaps he was more interested now than ever, but before he could press the issue he felt Neptune's presence rapidly rising through the underwater tunnel. Both he and Gale looked towards the pool as the elder Hybrid launched from the pool onto land, though as he fell every drop of water seemed to pull away from his body and back towards the pool, leading him to land without so much as a puddle, though the chamber shuddered under his weight all the same.

He raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the disheveled state of the room, his gaze passing over Frost before settling on Gale. She kept from meeting his eyes, a slightly discomforted look crossing her face, leading the elder Hybrid to simply sigh and turn towards Frost.

"It would be best to avoid that topic with her. It is not entirely pleasant, and given her unique circumstances, Gale can find it difficult to keep her disposition."

"What 'circumstances'?" Frost grunted, pushing himself up and catching a sheet of paper before it landed on him.

"How to describe it best… You mentioned before that both you and your sister entered an enraged state before, where you lose all inhibitions in exchange for ever greater power. Tyrell, Regina, Ripley, Mephitis, even I myself possess such a state. It is a rather common ability amongst us. In the rather uncommon case of some Hybrids though—such as Gale—this state is perpetual. Perhaps her strength is not as great as if you or Snow became enraged, but I dare say without that resorting to using that state few Hybrids could truly match her… but she also has a tendency to get riled easily."

"No, I don't!" she snapped, only to realize a moment later that she had just proven the elder's statement correct, then allowing her head to sink with a sigh. "Okay, yes, but that is specifically why I try to keep it in check. That matter just..." Her voice trailed off for a couple seconds, then she shook her head and looked up at Frost. "But I am not the only one with 'unique circumstances', now am I?"

Neptune raised an eyebrow at the Barioth Hybrid, and Frost took a few minutes to explain his control over thunder element, how he'd always been able to use it, and even offered a demonstration by arcing a bolt of electricity over the pool of water (Neptune insisted they not cause any more undue damage to his books). Even the elder Hybrid's eyes lit up with intrigue and wonder at that. Once Frost's demonstration had ended, Neptune chuckled deeply and wistfully stroked his beard. Frost and Gale wordlessly exchanged a glance while the elder seemed to lose himself in thoughts or memories, eventually harrumphing and turning towards the Barioth Hybrid.

"How many long, long years has it been since I've seen a Mutant Hybrid… The last I had seen was slain by the Alatreon personally not long after the seals were enacted."

"A… 'Mutant Hybrid'?"

"Indeed. Truly a rare happenstance… Tell me Frost, what do you know of genes?"

"…that new legwear?"

"Clearly nothing. No matter," the Ceadeus Hybrid continued, walking along the wall and running his hand along the surface, splashing a trail of water element across it. "I will attempt to keep this simple… traits are passed from parent to child, regardless of species or race. Some creatures can develop certain 'mutations' in their gene pool, however, due to a number of factors such as parentage, dietary habits, environment, and evolution. The specifics are unknown even today, but it has been theorized that given enough mutations in a specific alignment, attributes typically not seen in monsters can reveal themselves. Frost, I believe that your genes may have 'lined up' in just such a way."

Frost just stared blankly at the elder dragon Hybrid as he spoke, the water trailing after his hand contorting and squirming along the wall like some kind of living, growing thing. He didn't quite understand all of this… at all. All he really gleaned was that somehow, he was born with attributes that allowed him control of thunder element. But that raised another question for him.

"If any of this… nonsense is to be believed, why does Snow not possess these same abilities? We're twins."

"Alas, I cannot be certain. Perhaps the attributes vary between sex, or they differ at random. Perhaps the magic that shapes us into our current forms is an imprecise thing. I do not claim to be an expert in this field, only that I understand a fair bit of it. The knowledge about genes is scarce as-is, and magic, even less. That being said, I am privy to the knowledge of a certain Rite performed in the distant lands of Gildegaran that allowed ancient 'Riders' to bestow certain genes to the creatures they had bonded with… quite unlike what the Brilliant Darkness did by forcibly enslaving monsters to serve their cause."

"Are you certain that isn't a fairy tale?" Frost scowled, folding his arms. This entire thing was starting to remind him of the kinds of books Wes obsessed over.

"I can assure you, this is all true. I know because a fallen friend of mine was one such being… You, Frost, are a Mutant Hybrid," the elder concluded, turning to face the icy-eyed Hybrid _._ Frost remained unconvinced, but he supposed the explanation was… something, at least. "Now that we have resolved one matter… Gale, tell me. What is the situation in Loc Lac?"

The Sand Barioth Hybrid's eyes lit up for a brief moment, and she pushed herself up from the seat before delivering her report. Aside from governmental issues and cracks showing in the economy—ripples caused by Balestra's 'revolution'—Gale spoke of what she had learned about Snow. The Guild was using her as their primary means of countering other Hybrids that were threatening humans and attacking hunters… but that wasn't all. They were also having Snow _recruit_ more Hybrids for the Guild's purposes. She was bringing them to Loc Lac.

"Of course, there is… much discomfort about this amongst the other races," she continued. "I cannot say I saw any other Hybrids during my visit, but the rumors were all over the city about the Guild's plans. Humans, Wyverians, Lynians… perhaps not so much the latter, but many were upset. Some even spoke of creating an anti-Hybrid group of some kind. Regardless, it seems that at least for now the Guild is making an effort to reach out to Hybrids and offer a sanctuary of sorts, and in exchange, they must defend their settlements from feral Hybrids."

The elder Hybrid had long since seated himself in his throne while Gale spoke, stroking his beard all the while, though once she had finished her sat up straight and let out a deep _harrumph._

"This news is far more than I could have ever hoped for, Gale," he said with a proud tone, earning a smile from her that was perhaps the most genuine he had seen her capable of yet. It quickly vanished when she caught his gaze though, and she glanced away with a red hue of embarrassment lighting her cheeks. "If that is the situation, then perhaps our goals are not as far off as I had initially feared. Perhaps our numbers here could stand to be a little greater still, but with those kinds of steps being conducted without any effort on our part, the future looks brighter than ever. Frost, your sister's efforts are greatly appreciated. Even without knowing of us, she proves to be a valuable asset. I will have to thank her myself one day."

Frost's own expression hardened when Neptune spoke, though. "A need for more of us? What is this 'brighter future' you speak of? What is the purpose of gathering us here like this? What is your true goal, Neptune?"

"Your tone makes my actions sound quite sinister," the older Hybrid chuckled. His expression fell shortly after, though, and he let out a heavy sigh. "I suppose many humans too would think that. Their kind is all too fearful of us Hybrids. Many hunters believe it a just cause to try and butcher us due only to the actions of a few. To them, a union of Hybrids could only mean war or worse.

"But, I do not seek conflict with mankind. It was not so in the past, and it need not be so now. Rather, I wish nothing more than the peaceful coexistence with the other races of this world we once had. Human, Wyverian, Lynian, it matters not. There is a place for us all. I believe it important to make sure all understand that, but I understand that in order to convince a wary people, I need proof. I need to show them Hybrids that are not the bloody savages they think us. I need them to see we are not the abominations a few bad eggs painted us out to be. First with Venatoria, and then the rest of the world."

"I am certain given your efforts to learn about the others here that you are aware none were convinced by force," Gale said calmly, stepping towards the two of them. "Each of us follows Neptune for our own reason."

"Apart from the overwhelming presence, you mean."

"I suppose I _am_ rather intimidating… but I always offer a choice if possible. For those who have not turned feral, they may assist our cause directly or indirectly. Many approve of our efforts, but preferred not to leave their homes and territories behind. They will live to support our cause as they live on their own terms. That is their choice. I did not offer you one in bringing you here, Frost. I did so to save your life and hopefully gain another ally, which I am confident I have already done. I can tell you believe yourself ready to leave now, so I will offer a choice now—stay with us here and help us, or return to your sister in Loc Lac. If you believe yourself strong enough to do so, none of us shall stop you. All I ask is that you live and act for the sake of us all, not just yourself, or just your sister."

Gale looked towards the elder Hybrid with a shocked expression, though she didn't speak. Frost narrowed his brow as he tried to read Neptune's words. Was he truly to take that offer at face value? Was he to believe there were no strings attached? Neptune had given him little reason to doubt, and his goals seemed altruistic, his motivations pure… but he could help do the same thing with Snow in Loc Lac. His stakes were grander in the desert capital, where his sister was.

And yet…

There was more to learn. About Hybrids, their origins. More he had the chance to know now… and unlike with humans, none shied away from him here. None feared him, despised him. Here felt… natural. Far more than the arid dryness of Loc Lac, surrounded by the humans that remained so alien to him.

Even still, Snow could use his support. She needed the comfort of knowing he was still alive. Returning to Loc Lac would allay her fears, empower them both… but to return to Loc Lac was to accept enslavement by the Guild's rules and regulations. It was to do as they said, no questions asked. They would hold him over Snow's head, and Snow over his, just so they would keep dancing to the tune they played. Cause against cause, prison against prison… and only one offered a choice.

He turned his gaze downwards. Neither choice was as simple as it seemed. To think he would have to weigh his sister's safety against anything and have it not be a clear decision…

"Frost, I will not question Lord Neptune's offer—I stand by him regardless of anything. I owe him my life and loyalty," Gale sighed. "However, if I can make a suggestion, you need not decide this minute. The Guild, the world believes you dead after Tanzia. To anyone who never knew you, you would just be another Hybrid. Another target. Getting into Loc Lac would be nearly impossible… unless you were to either make yourself known to the Guild, or to your sister."

The Sand Barioth Hybrid lifted her goggles from behind her collar for him to see.

"I will keep tabs on her assignments, find a way to best draw her out or at least intercept her during one of her assignments to orchestrate a meeting between the two of you. If you would like, I can even deliver a message to her. The Guild will likely see it as well, but they will not hunt for you hear is a letter appears in the midst of Loc Lac. Tell her of your survival, give her peace of mind until you can properly discuss with your 'other half' about what choice you believe best. Decide then if you can be of greater use to your sister there… or to us here. Is that within reason, Lord Neptune?"

"I find it agreeable enough, but I believe it truly matters to Frost. What say you?"

* * *

 **Author Notes: Please review! I hope you enjoyed this exposition chapter!**

 **I think it's obvious enough to tell that Gale is the most important character in the haven aside from Frost and Neptune himself. The original version of the story offered a significantly different portrayal of her character due to there being a substantial difference in how the events there unraveled. That being said this new way of portraying her allows for more room for the other Hybrids to have a greater presence, even if it still lacks overall compared to Gale. I wonder if any of you will notice her speaking quirks… or if you can guess what her story is.**

 **And hoo, the backstories! I always love writing bits about characters' pasts, and this chapter gave me ample room to do just that. I wanted to make the Hybrids in Neptune's haven seem moral. Not quite guiltless—Regina melting a guy's face off wasn't exactly the best way to handle things, but she's far from irredeemable. Most are genuinely good-hearted, Tyrell in particular. Even Mephitis isn't actually bad, only incredibly creepy and of a species Frost happens to hate. Point is they're all examples of ordinary Hybrids, which TMC was sorely lacking. Hades and Arroyo were the most prominent Hybrid antagonists after all, and neither were even feral, just pissed at the hunters who had been beating the crap out of them earlier.**

 **And now we get into the real fun stuff… why Frost can use thunder element! Originally it was just to be cool and set him apart from Snow more, while supporting the 'cast from hit points' inspiration for his fighting style, but with the release of Monster Hunter Stories, I suddenly had a very usable explanation! Frost was born with a thunder bingo and has an Ivory Lagiacrus gene passed down to him from his mother, who was descended from a Barioth a Rider had once performed the Rite of Channeling on. Mutant Hybrids are all an effect of those monsters getting genetically modified and released into the wild.**

 **Lastly, in terms of how this chapter lines up with TMC's timeline, Wes departs from Loc Lac with Sabrina about two weeks after this chapter. Gale had actually eavesdropped on Snow's conversation with Trance about a month and a half prior. Snow didn't detect her because of her distracted state, and because Gale is rather good at stealth… plus it's easy to eavesdrop from farther away on top of a large stone wall when you have super hearing, though she didn't quite catch the bit Trance said in a hushed tone.**

 **Anyways, that should cover everything for this chapter from me! How about Monster Hunter World? I realize I haven't talked much about my progress in the gaming world lately... in any case, the Spring Festival event was a real blast, and I thought the alterations they made to the gathering hub was a really cool choice. I'm wondering what other festive events we can expect to see! Deviljho does NOT disappoint, and the new Kulve Taroth siege battle is just so much fun (though I'm still hoping for my thunder dual blades). All that pales in comparison to the Devil May Cry collab event on the horizon! I've been waiting for that one since 4U. I'm just gonna have to figure out how I'm going to balance my time between finals, writing, and both of my characters in World to make sure I get everything done... But I do love a good challenge!**

 **That about does it from me. Let me know what/who you liked and disliked in the reviews, faithful reader! See you in a week with chapter 3!**


	3. Power

**The Master Corps: Whiteout**

 **By Thomas A. Hawk**

 **Edited by: dashboardgecko**

 **Monster Hunter is owned by Capcom. Any characters that appear in this story belong to me, myself, and I, unless otherwise stated.**

 **SPOILER WARNING!: This is a canonical side story taking place after the events of The Master Corps. If you have not read my previous work, I would advise you turn back and do so now, as Whiteout will reference characters, revelations and plot twists without ceremony. Otherwise, read at your own discretion.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Power

Frost spent several more months amongst the Hybrids of Neptune's haven. Early on he thought that he might regret making the choice to remain, that there would be more internal conflict or… something over choosing to prioritize Snow. Yet here he was, a quarter into his second year in this place, and there was no second guessing. He supposed he just knew his sister would be alright on her own for a while longer. She was strong. That thought was primarily what helped him maintain his composure.

The occasional updates on her condition that Gale provided were likely also a contributing factor to his ease of mind. Despite how few and far between they were, they helped prove his assumption correct. The news that more Hybrids were entering Loc Lac because of her work for the Guild was also met with approval from those in and out of the haven, despite the accompanying news that suspicions towards their kind hadn't been curbed at all in the desert capital. People still weren't keen on the idea of living alongside beings they saw as monsters, and likely wouldn't be for quite a long time… Gale had previously mentioned the possibility of an anti-Hybrid protest group forming, and one such collection had indeed come about. Calling themselves 'Pacifica' and being primarily made up of individuals that had been wronged by Hybrids in some way, Frost was initially concerned that their existence meant a clash was on the horizon, but Gale seemed convinced otherwise.

"They are not a violent group. Pacifica is not trying to drive Hybrids from the city themselves, they are trying to convince the Guild to quit the new reforms. A protest without blades or bullets… nary even an insult."

"Easily the most effective weapon to use against our kind… Hybrids are more aggressive and violent by nature, and a group opposed to their existence that _doesn't_ use force? Any Hybrid that strikes back with anything greater than words immediately proves Pacifica right," Neptune had mused. "We must keep an eye on this group and their practices so we can best keep our own restrained in face of adversity when the time comes for our own appearance. I fear they may grow to be our greatest threat…"

The news of this group's formation directly contrasted the own slight growth of the haven's numbers in recent months. Two more Hybrids had joined their ranks—Kaiser the Rathalos, who Regina had returned with after one of her flights, and Elira the Lagiacrus, who had been recruited by Ripley.

Their motivations varied rather significantly. Kaiser came along mostly because of his own interest in Regina, at least initially. The mahogany-haired Hybrid with fiery wings agreed that coexistence seemed like a good goal to work towards, but he had a tendency to speak like humans were beneath him, which was a worrisome habit. Given his callous and dismissive demeanor towards the rest of them Gale seemed to suspect he may have nearly gone feral before the Rathian Hybrid found him, and as such had insisted Frost and Tyrell keep a close eye on him when she or Neptune were not around as a precaution.

"You. Barioth. Hold a moment," Kaiser had half-requested, half-ordered while Frost was returning to his chamber. His proud, lofty expression was matched only by his posture and tone. He strode towards Frost with a slow, purposeful gait, running his hands through his long mahogany-hue hair to slick it back behind his ears. His features were sharp, seemingly sculpted, and his build was broad and strong. His upper body was exposed save the shoulders, around which a red and black wing membrane shawl was wrapped. His lower body was heavily armored in fiery red and black scale greaves and faulds. "I have heard a most fascinating rumor about you… the others call you a 'Mutant', that you possess control over thunder magic as well as ice."

"It's no rumor."

"Truth then, hmm? Simply fascinating… with such power, just imagine the kind of havoc you could wreak. Have you ever tested the true limits of your abilities?"

"Once, long ago. I would rather not revisit those circumstances."

"Ah, what talk is this? You could be so much more powerful now than however long ago that was," the Rath Hybrid grinned, raising a hand and clenching it into a fist. "Let me see that power, Barioth, and perhaps I may share some… suggestions for you to consider, regarding our place here in this 'haven'."

"What?"

"You and I, we are _strong._ Why should we not aim higher than equal with these other fools? I'm certain that together, not even Neptune could defeat us. What say you, Barioth?"

Frost gave Kaiser a dry, flat look, and after a few moments let out a sigh. This treacherous attempt was so thinly veiled even Mephitis could see right through it. He turned swiftly, thunder element crackling about his arm, and drove a fist squarely into the draconic Hybrid's face, blasting him down the tunnel with a bolt of lightning and an accompanying curse of agony.

"There's the 'strength' you wished to see. Know your place, weakling."

The others mentioned having similar experiences, but fortunately the number of rebukes eventually took Kaiser down a couple notches, and he had since grown more cordial. Fortunately their second new addition did not warrant as much concern. Elira was… rather excitable, in fact. She was easily the youngest of the Hybrids there—not exactly a child, but she certainly hadn't seen more than two decades of life—and had little interaction with anyone previously, be it man or Hybrid. Ripley hadn't as much recruited her as she had forcibly recruited herself, if the way she described their meeting was to be believed. She just saw him while sunbathing and decided to follow him. He apparently hadn't even realized she tagged along until they were back in the haven and the others were congratulating him on his first recruitment, much to his own confusion.

Regardless the Lagiacrus Hybrid stuck by his side like glue, which Frost admitted was actually somewhat entertaining to behold. Neptune surmised that while young, she had likely also been a particularly small-sized creature before shifting—a miniature crown in hunter's terms. It showed: Elira was barely a foot over half Ripley's height, and her curious and eccentric attitude clashed hard with his awkward, disassociated personality. The reason she insisted on tagging along with him was probably because they shared a habitat and several features. Elira lacked Ripley's gills, sure, and her reptilian scales were decidedly more prominent on her arms, legs, shoulders and face, but they both had the webbed digits and fins, and shared a love for swimming. She also had short pair of protruding horns growing out of her head and spikes running down her back that pulsed with thunder element (Ripley kept particularly clear when they did, lamenting how many of the Hybrids here possessed control over the elements he was weak to). She more or less got along with everyone to some extent… though she still attempted to get into scraps with them all too, and she wasn't exactly familiar with the concept of restraint yet.

"You!" she had shouted, earning the attention of both Frost and Tyrell the moment before they had begun a sparring match. She was forcefully jabbing a finger towards the Zinogre Hybrid, her other arm planted on the drooping ocean blue scale faulds around her hips and hanging particularly low in the back, almost resembling the tail of her origin species. Her legs were mostly bare, as were her arms, showing off the similarly colored scales on her lower legs and forearms. Her upper body was mostly covered in a thick armor of scales and plates. While her features were soft and youthful, her expression was hard and determined, her orange eyes large and bold. Were she only a foot and a half taller, Frost might have been able to take her seriously.

"Whaddya need, Shrimp?" Tyrell asked, gesturing towards himself with a raised eyebrow. "Kinda in the middle of something."

"Well cut that out and fight me! I heard Regina say your thunder is the strongest in the haven, and I'm not letting that stand without a challenge!"

"If you wanna scrap, we can scrap later! I've been lookin' forward to tussling with Frost here for months, and I'm not… wait, Reggie said that? HAH! I KNEW IT! That stubborn-"

He was cut off as Elira let out a shout and wreathed herself in a brilliant flash of thunder element, then rushed towards him full sprint. The Zinogre Hybrid rolled his eyes and gestured to Frost to hold a moment, turning towards the charging Leviathan. He raised a single arm as she drew near, catching her mid-charge by the forehead, right between her two horns. She let out a fierce roar and unleashed a massive wave of thunder magic, far more than one might expect her to be capable of, enough that Frost even had to shield his eyes from how brightly illuminated the entire cavern grew. Even he doubted he could match that kind of voltage normally… It was like she had discharged every bit of electricity she had in her.

After the flash died down and Frost lowered his arm, he saw Tyrell standing right where he had been before, only his own body was now completely wreathed in lightning. Glowing blue tendrils crossed his face under his skin and around his body, and his hair had further spiked up from the voltage, sticking up and back in a sharp array of points broken by a streak of electric blue. The fulgurbugs buzzing in the air around him too seemed to have been charged, bolts of lightning dancing between them and shrouding the fanged Hybrid in an aura of light blue voltage. He let out a short chuckle and lightly shoved the Lagiacrus Hybrid back onto her behind a few yards away—that outburst had left her utterly spent, it seemed, and she lay there groaning in exhaustion.

"Not bad, Shrimp! You actually managed to juice me up!" Tyrell laughed, turning back towards Frost. "Alright, c'mon! Don't hold back now! I'd hate to waste the charge."

Frost decided then that his reliance on thunder magic may prove to be his downfall against a Zinogre, and as such he resolved to train his ice powers more.

Truth be told there would have been three new occupants of the haven had the third Hybrid not already turned out to be feral. Tyrell had come to him and Neptune to request Frost's aid in tracking the Hybrid, which had supposedly been harassing a nearby town and killing their draft animals.

Neptune had initially been somewhat reluctant, but quickly acquiesced when Frost ascertained that he would return. Perhaps it was a test, or perhaps it was guilt over having Frost remain holed up in the haven for so long. Nevertheless he set out alongside the Zinogre Hybrid to find the culprit after Gale presented him with a replacement outfit consisting of a black coat, dark pants and boots, and a white shirt. Some armor was also included in all that; silvery plates for his arms and legs, a pauldron, and a breastplate. A simple single-edged sword topped off the gift.

The tracks hadn't been too hard to find or follow for his enhanced senses (and only made him further question if Regina was right about Tyrell being unobservant), but neither of them were entirely prepared for the Hybrid to launch into an assault the second they made contact. Garbed in green and red hides, and his body positively lined with yellowish spikes of bone, particularly around the jaw, and possessing control of the rare dragon element, the two quickly surmised that this Hybrid was of a Deviljho. Whether the Hybrid had gone feral or it was just the origin species' own volatile temperament and hunger showing through mattered little, as any and all attempts to reason with him were met with failure. Thus, they fought, and after a long and incredibly hard battle that left his armor cracked and battered, his new sword in pieces, and more than a few of his bones broken, and Tyrell in barely any better condition, the two managed to overcome the Deviljho Hybrid. The sight of them both staggering back into the haven while covered in blood certainly surprised the rest of them.

"Sadly those of us who shift from brute Hybrids have markedly less intelligence than other species," Neptune had explained after setting Frost's arm in a splint. "They are far more inclined to operate off of their base desires as a result… even in all my years I have never once met a Deviljho Hybrid that could be reasoned with over its own hunger. I'm just glad you did not end up this one's next meal."

In spite of his own failure to bring another of their kind back to the haven, Neptune had been quite pleased by the couple new faces they did have. Frost supposed he hadn't exactly been paying attention to the ancient Hybrid's disposition when he had first awoken, but it was hard to ignore his positively beaming attitude now. He easily surmised that it was the sight of their kind dwindling returning from the brink he had lived through for so long—over a thousand years of isolation had to have taken its toll on him. Yet, here he was now, in a place of his own making, once more surrounded by many other Hybrids who shared a like mindset.

To say he didn't feel similar elation would be untrue. The longer he spent among the Hybrids the more satisfied he grew. He could spar with strong opponents without needing to hold back, he could listen to like perspectives every day, and he could continue to learn so much more about their kind… in fact, only one mystery truly remained after spending over a year in this haven.

Gale. Apart from her indignant denial to share her past (and he had made an effort each time they met despite Neptune's warnings) he had noticed long before that she was the only one of their kind who avoided fighting with the others here. Perhaps it was because of her 'permanently enraged' state, or the fact that she couldn't afford to be wounded while going out on her assignments for Neptune. Regardless of any reasons he could think of, it had always struck him as odd. She always had an excuse lined up, or simply declined. He had lost track of the number of challenges he issued, though he believed he was surely, if rather slowly, getting through.

Today was yet another attempt. The Sand Barioth glanced up at him as he approached her place at the main hall's table.

"My apologies, but if you are looking for news about your sister, I have nothing."

"I didn't come to ask about Snow. Spar with me."

Gale sighed at his request. "Well, that is certainly a change of pace… but have I not made myself clear yet? No. Lord Neptune wishes for me to go to Loc Lac in a few days' time, and—"

"Stop running away," he replied, turning his back and walking towards one of the tunnels that branched off into a larger chamber often used for combat. "If it's truly so difficult for you, then I'll avoid leaving any lasting marks. Don't keep me waiting. You know I'll just ask again."

He was half surprised to hear her push up from her seat and follow after him a few moments later, though it was not unwelcome. She entered into the chamber about half a minute after he did, maintaining her steely gaze as she strode to a space opposite him.

"Your stubborn persistence is equal parts admirable and aggravating. But, I suppose I have grown somewhat fond of you, so I will agree to play for a while if you keep your word."

"I'm nothing if not honest. Before we begin, though… Why do you continue to avoid your past?"

"…haven't I told you to avoid that topic with me enough times?"

Her pupils narrowed dangerously as the words left her lips, though he had long grown used to seeing that deathly glare. It did not faze him. More importantly, he wanted to know. He knew the story of every other Hybrid here already, save for Gale's. It was hers that intrigued him the most. It was an intrigue born from many attempts over the time spent here, though he himself still couldn't quite fathom why he was so invested. Regardless, he wanted—NEEDED—to know.

"You keep saying you have no past. I do not believe that. Why hide your scars, Gale?"

"You've no idea what you're talking about. Drop it. Now." She turned to move towards the exit, though Frost had already begun moving to block her.

"I don't think I will. You and I are more similar to one another than almost any other Hybrid in this place. We shifted from a similar species, we share dispositions, philosophies on truth and honesty. We value our pride. Yet, one striking difference remains… I embrace my past and everything it brings, and you flee from yours like a scared kitten. You pretend it never happened."

"I am _not_ pretending! I _have_ no past," she hissed insistently, her expression shifting to the resentful glare she had shown months before. Her voice, though controlled, possessed enough venom and hate that it made the hair on the back of his neck stand tall. "There's _nothing_ for me to run from, do you understand?!"

"I would if it weren't a blatant lie," Frost retorted, unfolding his arms and running a hand over the massive burn scar visible on his chest. "I never understood the point. Old wounds, past experiences. Those are what shape us. Why deny their existence? You may as well be denying who you are."

"Or perhaps I'm simply accepting who I am now. You seem to be under the impression that we're so alike, but I assure you we are very different beings, Frost. Believe whatever you will, but don't put words into my mouth, lest I put my fist into yours."

"…Very well. I will admit one thing. We are different. I have power, and you do not."

"What did you just say?" Her eyes narrowed on him as she slouched into an aggressive stance, readying to pounce at him.

"You are weak, Gale… and I do not respect weakness."

"Weak, is that it? Hmm? Then I'll give you something to respect!"

With a wide sweep of her arm a massive gust of wind filled the room and slammed into him, throwing him off his feet several yards back with a shocked grunt. By the time he hit the ground the Sand Barioth Hybrid had already closed on him, slamming a fist into the center of his chest with enough force behind it to knock him back into the wall behind him and split a long crack through the stone. He dropped to one knee and caught himself from falling, let out a single cough, then pushed himself back upright, glaring back at her while his chest burned in pain.

"Weak."

Gale let out a frustrated shout and shot towards him again with a powerful burst of wind. Frost raised his arms in preparation as she neared, though the Sand Barioth Hybrid surprised him by launching herself upwards just before reaching him, then launched downwards at him over his guard. Her fist slammed into the side of his cheek, sending him skidding several feet to the side with a pained grunt. He twisted his head back towards her and wiped the stinging bruise with the back of his hand before repeating:

"Weak."

Her expression contorted to one of relentless fury, and the Sand Barioth Hybrid again swept her arm towards him—this time the gust of wind came from behind, forcing him forwards back towards her while she leapt upwards and delivered a powerful spinning kick to his side, knocking him across the floor several yards towards the center of the room. He hit the floor and rolled back onto all fours, sliding to a stop and pushing himself back up for a third time, holding his side as his ribs ached from the impact. Her strike might have even cracked one or two.

"And where's your power, huh?!" she snarled as she stormed towards him, a hollow drone filling the chamber from the gust her wind magic had kicked up. "You call me weak?! You're the one being beaten! You're the one thrown about like a pathetic sack of meat! Don't speak of 'power' if you have _none_ to show!"

"I don't even need to lift a finger to show it," he retorted, lowering his arm to his side once again and staring straight ahead to meet her eyes. "That is why you are weak."

A quick sweep of the Hybrid's arm caused another forceful blast of wind to slam into Frost, staggering him to the side and throwing him off balance while Gale closed the distance and swept low, kicking his legs out from beneath him. She grabbed hold of his ankle and tugged him back towards her before slamming a fist into his chest, knocking the Barioth Hybrid straight into the floor with a resounding _thud_. Gale crouched low over him and grabbed hold of his neck with one hand then, glaring angrily down at him. He grimaced as it became difficult to breathe, but he simply continued to meet her eyes with a cool, focused expression. She huffed angrily and began to press harder, though after about half a minute her eyes widened ever so slightly in realization and she ceased gripping him so tightly, though her hand remained around his neck. That unspoken connection had materialized between them once again.

"Why… why aren't you fighting back…?"

"Because power is not just strength of body." His reply was simple, yet it seemed to stun the green-eyed Hybrid all the same. "Power is holding true to your convictions. Power is finding resolve in the direst moments. Power is understanding you have weaknesses, and working to overcome them no matter the challenge. Power is standing up for a just cause even if it means pitting yourself against those you'd never wish to face. Power, to me, is everything. If you haven't the power to face your own past and accept it, then you will never grow from it. If you never grow, then I will never respect your strength because it will never become what it _could be_."

"I… Then… all of that posturing…" The Sand Barioth Hybrid fell silent and glanced away, shutting her eyes tight with an ashamed grimace.

"Provoking you was the only way I knew I could get through. You keep your rage buried deep. I felt only by drawing that rage out could I make any progress with you… even if that meant taking a few blows."

"Did it not occur to you that you could have just gradually coaxed me into discussing this openly?"

"I believe your words were 'stubborn' and 'aggravating'. My sister is the one with a talent for honeyed words, not I."

"Clearly. I think I understand why you had an easier time making friends amongst humans when you didn't speak."

"Hmm. But we are not human. I felt this way was… natural."

"…I cannot disagree with you. In truth I much preferred the chance to let it all out."

"I could tell."

She let out a long sigh, relaxing her hold on his throat in doing so. "I must say, your philosophy on power is… interesting. Yours is a different perspective entirely, but… not unwelcome. Perhaps you are correct. I do flee from my past. But not without reason. There is pain, betrayal, loss… and no lack of hardship on my end."

"Then speak of it."

"…Another time, elsewhere. Away from prying ears." She turned her gaze towards the entrance of the room then, where Mephitis, Tyrell, Regina, Kaiser, Elira, and Ripley were all standing, peering into the chamber.

"So are you two gonna fight or what?!" the Zinogre Hybrid called after a couple seconds of awkward silence.

"Away from prying ears," Frost agreed, turning his head back towards her. "Perhaps in the meantime we can sate their curiosity with a true bout. I know it would sate mine."

"Perhaps… Only if you are good to continue. I'm certain more than a few of your ribs are broken."

"I would hardly call that a significant wound. Had I truly meant to fight you before, I would have struck first, and last."

She turned back towards him with a puzzled expression, though it shifted into an intrigued grin in a split second. "Do you wish to bet on that? I was going easy on you before. If I really tried, you would not be walking straight for a week."

"In your concussed dreams, perhaps."

He surprised her by pulling his legs up and kicking her into the air off of him, and from there they launched into a no-holds barred fight. Frost hadn't expected to find the clash so enjoyable—he expected much, yes, but Neptune hadn't lied when he said Gale's strength was greater than the average Hybrid. Her combat prowess was no less impressive. She struck with efficient ferocity, moved with precise speed, reacted with keen instincts… In a way her fighting style was more of a window into who she was than any word he had heard, any other action he had witnessed.

While he could have easily blamed his initial promise to avoid harming her badly as the reason, he accepted that his eventual defeat was more because she simply outclassed him. That acceptance was what would help him push himself further, to grow even more powerful.

Gale visited much sooner than he had expected to tell her tale—later that same day, in fact, though quite late into the evening long after they had all eaten and retired for the night. Even still she insisted they speak somewhere further into the haven. He trailed after Gale through winding tunnels and passages, twisting up through the complex until they reached a wide cavern with a large opening overlooking the dense forest hundreds of feet below the steep, jagged cliffs. A starry expanse oversaw the whole of the mainland, casting the greens of the woods with a deep indigo hue. For a time they just stood and looked over the land, listening as the occasional breeze blew through the opening, tousling the leaves and branches far below. Gale's normally calm expression was quite uncomfortable initially, though once she had begun to speak a sort of trance fell over the Hybrid, and the details began to pour out like a spout.

"You… mentioned long ago, when you first awakened. The other Hybrid in Loc Lac. Arroyo. He was my brother. I suppose much like you and Snow, though we were not twins. We had grown up separately as Sand Barioths, but the call of the Tower drew us both in, and we were reunited. He was quite different then. Still rough and brash, but kind. Sincere. He was not always the detestable vermin he is now. I was different too: bold, yet all too naïve. For a time we got along quite well. We would hunt for food, find shelter for the night, occasionally we would even manage to get into the occasional human village. Always together, of course. It was… nice.

"But, as time went on, Arroyo began to change. Whether it was his own experiences before shifting, or… something else, I do not know. He began to show a more savage side. He tore monsters apart, abandoned the plans and strategies we long laid out in advance. He even attacked hunters with little reason, killed them, stole their weapons. It was so gradual I hardly noticed at first… but with every passing month my own brother was turning feral right before my eyes. Had I realized earlier I might have been able to stop it, but I clung to some desperate fantasy that the lies he fed me about his supposed innocence were true, that it was not by his choice these evils were committed.

"I suppose I truly understood how far he was gone one night, perhaps a week before our paths permanently diverged. You said he targeted your sister because of his desire for a mate. The same was true for myself. I found the idea taboo, abhorring… but he came at me with a fire in his eyes like I had never seen. Some madness had taken hold of my brother and would not let go. It took everything I had just to fight him off, to 'convince him' to stop. Eventually he relented, and I foolishly believed he had at last returned to normal. He was not convinced, though… he was enraged. Furious at being denied. He let it simmer below the surface though, up until our next visit into a human town.

"I awoke that morning to the corpse of a waitress in our shared room. Evidence that led the local Guild right to us. We were surrounded before I even fully knew what was happening. I thought to clear an opening for us to escape, and in doing so I turned my back to Arroyo… that was when I felt his blade pierce my back. His revenge for my resistance. He left me there to make his own getaway. I fought back as well as I could, but with a wound like that even a Hybrid couldn't last forever. I was beaten, captured, and thrown into a cell in some human prison. I assume they initially intended to interrogate me, to find out who he was, where he had gone. Yet it seemed my captors were satisfied just to see me suffer. My wounds were barely treated… I was fed even less.

"For nearly a year I rotted away in that prison, teetering on the line between life and death. Some days, I begged the darkness to take me entirely. I was too weak to end it all myself. I do not even know how I survived that long… be it the tenacity of a Hybrid, or my own growing, seething rage, my vicious desire for revenge against that accursed man I once called a sibling, I do not know. Nor do I care. I survived for long enough, until Lord Neptune came for me.

"He pulled me from that hole of misery, despair, starvation and ruin, and in its place he gave me food, shelter, purpose… hope. When I was certain all was lost, he was there. He kept me from turning feral myself. He's the reason I am Gale today. I left Mesa behind, and I never want her back. As for Arroyo, given the chance I would tear him asunder with my own hands without a shred of remorse… but I decided long ago not to allow that desire to consume me. It would mean becoming a danger to Lord Neptune… and I suppose now to you as well, Frost. Lord Neptune knows of my tale because he witnessed the end of Mesa, but you… you are the only one I have shared all of this with."

"Should I feel honored?" he asked, knowing that her story had at last reached its end.

"Only if you choose to. I… suppose it feels liberating to have finally talked about this. To face what happened, rather than bury it under the surface… Still, I choose to live as Gale now. Mesa is dead, and nothing will bring her back. But… you are correct. Were it not for Mesa, there would be no Gale. I can accept that much as true."

"Then you are all the stronger for it."

"Praise, coming from you? Here I was believing you were nothing but hard truths and insults."

"I say what needs saying. Nothing more."

"Heh. I do find that to be an… agreeable quality." A light smile split her lips then, though the Hybrid merely shook her head. "And I suppose there is another. You are an excellent listener."

"Spend a decade in silence. You'll find that it comes easy."

"If that is the case… would you be willing to listen to more in the future?"

He raised an eyebrow out of intrigue. "You mean to make these meetings a regular occurrence."

"Of course, if you are willing. I do not wish to burden Lord Neptune with more of my problems… but if I am being completely honest, he is not the greatest conversationalist. Everything just turns into another lesson with him. …Do not tell him I said that."

"I won't. As for your proposition… I would not be opposed to it, so long as you agree to spar more often."

"Ah, of course. You wish for an opportunity to mend your wounded pride." She rolled her eyes and folded her arms, looking his way with a decidedly coy smirk. "I will give you as many opportunities as you like… trouncing you will never get old."

"Funny. Enjoy your victory while it lasts. The next will not come easy. I am far more powerful than you know."

"Yes yes, I know how much you value your power. Tell me, exactly how powerful do you feel with your leg stuck in a splint?"

"Are you goading me?"

"Perhaps. What are you going to do about it?"

He lashed out at her with one arm, though Gale quickly caught the blow in an open palm. She struck out with her free arm, only for Frost to likewise catch the strike in his hand. For a few moments they pushed against each other, up until Frost's injured leg gave out beneath him and they toppled back into a heap.

"So predictable," she chuckled, pinning him to the floor while he grimaced in pain. "What, are you uncomfortable? Nervous, maybe? …Frost?"

"I believe my leg just broke again."

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 **Author Notes: Please review! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

 **Probably the most fun I have with Hybrid characters is coming up with the designs. Like, some species in Monster Hunter share enough similarities that it gets a little hard to think of many solid differences between, say, a Leviathan Hybrid and a Piscine Wyvern Hybrid. Oddly enough the opposite holds true for Brute Wyverns… NONE of them are similar apart from body structure, so I can barely come up with any shared traits, like scales covering one part of the body or something like that. So, I decided for those ones that they get a little more individuality.**

 **Frost's philosophy on power is one of his most defining character traits, and has actually been present even since The Master Corps. He never actually stated it in the main story, but the events of TMC have influenced it. I wonder if you can figure out who all he was referencing during that speech of his?**

 **Next up, Gale's backstory. Yes, she was indeed Arroyo's sister, which I'll assume most of you could probably see coming from a mile away… it's not something that's easy to be subtle about when the character designs have so many parallels. Still, during the conceptual stage of this story I figured one thing I might want to do is explain Arroyo's backstory too, which I never found a good chance for in the main story. As it were, Gale was actually supposed to be dead before I decided on bringing her back for the DLC story. She went from backstory death to central figure in the DLC very quickly. I really do enjoy writing her though—characters with not-so-great origins tend to have a lot more complexity.**

 **Moving away from the chapter now, first up I posted a couple drawings of TMC characters to my deviantart page! Six in total: Wes' wounded state during the Battle of Tanzia, Sabrina's wounded appearance during the fight with Dire Miralis, Wes' appearance in the final chapter of the story, Balestra himself (first actual drawing of the main antagonist!), and both Frost and Gale as they appear here in Whiteout. Go check out my page, Assassin-Hunter77, for the sorta-decent work I put up every now and then!**

 **And now, Monster Hunter World… alright, I'll admit it. The Devil May Cry collab has me fanboying like crazy. I did the quest no less than seven times with both of my characters, each time using a different weapon so I could hear all the different tracks they used for the quest (thanks Kulve Taroth for giving me the ability to get free decent-ish weapons). I'm not sure I'll be changing armor any time soon. Just makes the eventual Dante reference I plan to include in my next story all that much sweeter.**

 **That should about do it! Remember to leave a review telling me what you liked or disliked so that I can keep improving! Plus, reviews bump my story up to the top of the page listing so they're more likely to get noticed, and… well, I suppose I'm not too proud to admit that I want more feedback. I'll see you all next week with the final chapter of Whiteout, my faithful readers!**


	4. Blood Bonds

**The Master Corps: Whiteout**

 **By Thomas A. Hawk**

 **Edited by: dashboardgecko**

 **Monster Hunter is owned by Capcom. Any characters that appear in this story belong to me, myself, and I, unless otherwise stated.**

 **SPOILER WARNING!: This is a canonical side story taking place after the events of The Master Corps. If you have not read my previous work, I would advise you turn back and do so now, as Whiteout will reference characters, revelations and plot twists without ceremony. Otherwise, read at your own discretion.**

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Chapter 4: Blood Bonds

Frost was nearing his second full year spent in the haven when he heard from Mephitis that Gale and Neptune wished to see him. Despite his initial disgruntlement, what the Gigginox Hybrid elaborated on caused his disposition to change immediately, and he practically barreled past Mephitis to go find the two of them.

They had finally managed to determine where the Guild's next assignment for Snow would be.

He paid little mind to the other Hybrids in the grand hall and the passages he went through, leaving them to stare after him curiously. An unwavering intensity in his eyes, the Barioth Hybrid strode through the long hall towards Neptune's chamber, entering the large room and immediately catching sight of the elder dragon Hybrid and Gale. Both turned from their conversation as he entered.

"Ah, good. I'm certain you are aware of the situation?"

"More or less. You know where she's going?"

Gale nodded, a notable hint of reluctance in her expression. Neptune harrumphed and stepped forward, folding his arms and looking directly into Frost's eyes.

"This is your moment, white one. I will send you and Gale to rendezvous with your sister. Her assignment will be taking place in the desert. Time is of the essence, and I do not seek to slow either of you down by coming along. I trust you both to know what to do... and whatever choice you make, I shall understand."

Frost nodded and turned towards Gale just as she lifted a bundle of cloth and tossed it towards him. He caught hold of it, raising an eyebrow as it unfurled into a pair of wing-like strips of cloth. "Arms through the upper gaps, legs through the lower. Put them on—we must move swiftly."

He probably would have questioned her more thoroughly had his mind not been set on one goal already. He pulled the 'wings' on and tightened the straps securing them to his limbs, then walked alongside Gale as they made their way back to the cavern he and Gale frequently came to converse away from the others.

"Take a running start and jump."

The icy-eyed Hybrid spared her a short glance, but her expression told him everything he needed to know. Frost rushed the exit and leapt as far as his legs would allow, holding his arms and legs out to either side as he began to drop. Air filled the 'wings' he wore like sails, flapping loudly and causing his descent to slow from a straight drop into a long, gradual descent. He was aware of Gale's own 'wings' catching the wind behind him, and after a few moments a powerful gust blew from beneath and behind them, propelling them forwards and utterly halting their declining height. Like the wyverns they once had been the two soared over the forest, Gale's wind magic keeping their wings full all the while.

It was an experience completely unlike any he'd known. He'd flown on airships, yes, but that was hardly the same as this sort of personal flight. Even before he had shifted, he had been too young then to ever soar the freezing skies of the Tundra. Could this be what it was like? Truly fascinating…

The winds took them northwest, over the forests and plains and hills and eventually to where the air grew hot and the ground became yellow and dry. He hadn't a clue how long their flight took—frankly, he was too deep in thought to care. He remained aware of the sun shifting through the sky, the blue gradually shifting to a peachy-orange hue. They stopped once or twice in order to stretch their limbs, for Gale to recover some of her stamina from such prolonged use of her magic, and for Frost to down a cool drink to stave off the heat. During their second halt atop a large sandstone formation, he posed a question to his companion.

"What is Snow's task?"

Gale remained as quiet as she had been all day for a few minutes, then let out a long sigh.

"Arroyo. The Guild has been tracking him for almost a year and a half now, but they have run him into a corner in the ruins of an old village, lost to the sands many years ago. He has been hiding out there, and the Guild is sending Snow in to finish the job. She defeated him once, so they believe her capable of doing so again."

Frost's expression hardened. The last time Snow had faced Arroyo in battle, she had only succeeded because of her rage mode. While he had little doubt his sister had grown more powerful in the last two years—he knew he certainly had—he was also aware that Arroyo likely wasn't any less dangerous now either. There was no doubt that their foe was well aware of her enraged state as well, so it may not help her turn the tides as much... if she used it at all. She always spent too much effort trying to contain herself. Too many factors at play… they would have to hurry. He had one more question for Gale before they took to the skies again.

"How do you feel about this? Potentially facing him again?"

"I will be the one to rip his throat out and watch the life leave his eyes."

Cold, factual, right to the point. He liked that answer. He didn't need to reply; she knew he would let her have that right without need for verbatim. Such unspoken agreements had long become common between them.

The pair flew off once more, Gale taking the lead this time. Frost trusted that she knew where the ruined village was. She had spent years doing this sort of thing for Neptune… but given her story, it was possible that she and Arroyo had some history here, no matter how miniscule.

The sun had begun to set when the ruins of the desert village came into view. It was decently sized, for what remained of it. Less than a mile full circle, and any structures that still struggled to stand were distinctly hewn from sandstone, supported by wood beams long worn by the desert winds. From this height he could see flashes of light blue and fiery red lighting up the ruins and the sands below. The sound of swords clashing reached his ears moments after, and then the scents of the two fighting below.

Frost's eyes lit up, and he immediately angled into a dive, tucking his arms and legs in to collapse the 'wings' he wore. He shot through the air like a bullet, rapidly approaching the ground outside the village's ruins before unfurling the wings once more, abruptly catching a draft Gale's powers had created and briefly flying parallel to the ground. He ducked into a roll and slid to a halt after several yards, kicking up sand in every direction, then quickly detached the lengths of cloth from his arms and legs and tossed them into the ruins of a nearby structure. Once free he rushed into the ruins, following his nose and the sounds of battle, the familiarity of his sister's voice. Round a corner, through a crumbling structure, over the remains of a well long-filled by sand, and eventually to what was left of the town square, a large clearing dotted by the occasional patch of cobblestone under the sand. In the midst of that clearing, two figures were embroiled in a fast, deadly duel of fire and ice. Patches of ice and frozen spires dotted the square are frequently as streaks of sand burned into glass. Both seemed wounded already, as though their conflict had been raging for some time before his arrival—some newly collapsed structures hinted as much too.

So enveloped were they in their struggle that neither Arroyo nor Snow realized that he had come to a halt at the entrance to the square. After his brief moment of taking in the scene the Barioth Hybrid broke into a sprint towards them, enveloping his arm in a swirl of ice element as well as a crackling aura of thunder. The sudden surge of power caused both Hybrids to halt their conflict and glance towards him, just as Frost leapt at Arroyo. Time seemed to slow for a few brief moments as he took in their expressions. Arroyo's slowly contorted from shock to a terrified fury as he realized who it was that was now coming directly for him, and he began to raise his Silver Rathalos long sword to guard the oncoming attack. Snow's expression, meanwhile, went from cold and focused to bewildered and confused, yet with a new shine to the icy blue orbs as well.

Time abruptly returned to normal as Frost's fist connected with the flat of Arroyo's blade, sending a powerful shock through the blade and into the Sand Barioth's body, though the searing fire element within burned his knuckles. A veritable explosion of ice and thunder rocked the square a moment after, sending Arroyo sliding back nearly a dozen feet with a short string of curses. Frost landed deftly before his sister, letting out a long sigh while pulling his arm back as the thunder element bit at the flesh of his now-exposed arm, the sleeve having been utterly shredded by the voltage. The sigh was equal parts from the pain of his attack and the relief that his sister was safe. Slightly relaxing his stance, Frost spared a look over his left shoulder at Snow. The collar of his coat hid much of his face from her, but she recognized him regardless—the sight of the scar beneath his eye was just an additional confirmation for her. She was worn and battered from combat, blood trailing from a cut on her cheek and her armor cracked and burned in several places, the worst of it being a nasty gash in her side, but all that battle fatigue was lost when their eyes met.

"F… Frost…?" She stuttered over his name in complete bewilderment, eyes wide and with an expression mixed between shock, awe, confusion, disbelief, fear, hope, joy… a veritable mess of emotions. He figured they were all warranted though. Her spiked sword dropped from her hand, the heavy tip sinking a few inches into the sand next to her. She took a cautious step towards him, then another, slowly raising her hand up to reach out to him. "I-is it really you…?"

It was only then that Frost realized he hadn't the words to reply. Two years had passed, and now that they were together again he just couldn't find his voice. His own emotions were just as much of a mess, it seemed… he settled for a simple, short nod instead.

"You…!" Frost turned his gaze towards Arroyo as the Sand Barioth Hybrid stuck his blade into the ground below and pushed himself up, shooting a hateful glare at him. "How are you even here?! You're supposed to be dead! Everyone said you were dead!"

Frost's eyes narrowed on the Hybrid. He knew everything he needed to know about Arroyo to despise him well and utterly. He was a coward, detestable vermin that the world would be better off without. But the task of exterminating him did not fall to Frost. He remained aware of the slight howl in the air above…

"Answer me, dammit!"

The white-haired Hybrid's continued silence only goaded Arroyo further, past the point of restraint. He let out a sharp hiss and rushed towards Frost, flames spiraling about the blade. Frost stepped forwards to meet him, ducking under the Sand Barioth Hybrid's attempt to behead him, lashing out with his right arm and striking Arroyo directly in the abdomen, causing him to stagger back a pace. It was easy, slow, predictable: Arroyo was not in top form. All this time running from the Guild, fending for himself in the wilds, dueling with Snow… he was simple prey in this condition.

He growled and pressed forwards to take another swing, his blade arcing upwards with a spray of flames and sand, though just as easy for him to see coming. He sidestepped and ducked when Arroyo attempted to turn and slash him across the chest, charging a surge of thunder element into his right arm as he did. Frost rose and slammed his electrified fist into the flat of the blade as it passed over him, sending another powerful shock through the sword and into Arroyo's arms, causing the Hybrid's grip to fail. The blade spun from his grasp and landed in the sands some distance back.

Frost lunged forwards at his disarmed foe, shooting his arm past Arroyo's guard and gripping him tightly by the cracked armored plating over his chest. Arroyo let out a short yelp just before Frost delivered a swift headbutt to his nose, cracking the bone and spilling blood from his nostrils. The Barioth Hybrid gave him a cold stare while Arroyo groggily clutched at his wrist with his free hand.

The Barioth Hybrid twisted about and lifted Arroyo into the air before slamming his back into the ground with enough force to make at least one of the Sand Barioth Hybrid's ribs crack. He lifted the Hybrid up again and turned around, slamming Arroyo down again before repeating once more. He lifted Arroyo again and turned, this time throwing his foe clear across the square. The black-haired man tumbled along the ground before slamming into a wall and coming to a halt on all fours not far from his blade, groaning dazedly from Frost's assault. He shook his head after a few moments and grabbed the handle of the long sword. Arroyo then staggered to his feet, a long trail of blood running down his face from a fresh gash in his forehead.

"F-fuckin...! Bastard!" Arroyo growled, feeling at the wound on his forehead and shooting an angry glare at the Barioth Hybrid. "I'm going to make you wish you stayed dead…"

"Funny." Arroyo cocked his head to the side with a confused grunt, and Frost repeated; "Funny."

"What are you going on about?! You think this is a joke?!"

"No. But that you would say what you just did… I find it ironic. But, I grow bored of you. There's no more satisfaction to be had fighting you. Our battle is over."

Arroyo's face twisted into snarl at his words. " _WHAT?!_ The hell it is now! I'll skewer you and your whore sister, and leave you both to burn! FACE ME!"

Frost's only response to Arroyo's threat was to turn his back and stride towards where Snow still stood staring at him, glued to her place from shock, surprise, disbelief. The Sand Barioth Hybrid let out an infuriated growl and rushed to pursue him, failing at first to notice the howl of wind above them. His footsteps came to a sudden halt as the wind suddenly picked up all around them. A confused grunt escaped his lips at the feeling of the unsettling gust, one that he himself did not create. A second passed, then another, and suddenly the whole square erupted into a ferocious desert storm, a furious roar of wind splitting the air around them. Frost and Snow both raised an arm to shield their faces from the sand the gust began to throw around, and even Arroyo staggered back a pace in surprise. Before any could act beyond that, Gale shot down at Arroyo from the dark skies above, slamming her foot directly into his chest with a powerful diving kick that sent him hurtling back through the remains of an old stone building with a pained shout. She landed as the building crumbled in on itself, and the gust died down significantly, allowing the twins a clearer view of the Sand Barioth Hybrid.

Though he couldn't see her expression, the glare Gale was shooting towards Arroyo was so murderous, so venomous that it seemed to permeate through the air around them. Snow gasped in surprise at her sudden appearance, reaching back for her own dropped sword, but Frost raised his arm before she could rush forwards.

"Don't."

"Frost, I can't let him die before—"

"We no longer need him for our answers, Sister. Besides… his life is not ours to claim."

Snow frowned at his words, but relaxed her sword arm a moment later. Clearly she had dozens of questions, probably more, but she settled on the simplest one for the time being.

"And who exactly is she?"

"Someone I trust."

With that brief reply the Barioth Hybrid fell silent and watched the scene begin to unfold before him. Arroyo groaned in pain as he staggered out of the ruins of the building he had been thrown through, shaking his head in a slight daze. As he regained his composure and looked ahead, though, his skin went deathly pale, paler than even the rising moon on the horizon.

"M-Mesa?! No, no, that's not… that's not possible, this isn't possible," he whispered as though trying to convince himself that the reality before him was fiction. Gale rose from her crouching position and reached around behind her, grasping hold of the long tusk dagger sheathed there and drawing it in a reverse grip quickly, abruptly, violently. Another stiff, forceful breeze billowed through the square, and she began to advance on the Hybrid with a brisk stride. "I left you to rot, Mesa! There was a hole in your abdomen wide enough for the wind to whistle through! You should be _dead_! How do you stand here now?! Answer me!"

Not a word left her lips as she continued her approach, and Arroyo's expression twisted from fear to anger, to wild, untamed fury and rage.

"SISTER!"

"The wound you left was deep, Arroyo," Gale uttered, her calm tone betrayed by the seething venom her words contained; then any tranquility there was shattered like glass, "but the grave you left me in was shallow. I won't show you that same _kindness._ "

"Feh… The dead seem pretty happy to walk tonight," Arroyo shot back, pulling himself fully from the structure and beginning his own advance towards her. "I haven't forgotten how you betrayed my wishes, the audacity you had to resist me! For that, I definitely won't mind killing you again!"

Breaking into a sprint Arroyo cleared the gap between them effortlessly, leaping at Gale with an insane snarl contorting his face. He took a wide swing at her, but Gale was ready—a swift sweep of her hand threw his attack out of the way, and as he passed by she turned and slashed her dagger across his side, spilling blood onto the sand below as he tumbled past. He righted himself quickly though, sliding to a halt beside his long sword and pulling the Silver Rathalos weapon from the ground in one quick motion before slinging himself back at her, the wind under his control igniting the fire element within his blade and creating a swirling vortex of orange-hot flames.

He took a swing at her as he neared, sweeping the blade up across the ground beside him and cleaving a deep trench of glass through the sand in the process. Gale sidestepped the attack smoothly, completely ignoring the flames and sand the strike kicked up as she brought her blade around to deflect a mirrored follow-up from Arroyo. He turned with a fierce growl and took a swing at her neck, dancing flames enshrouding his sword and illuminating the space with blazing light. With familiar and learned precision, Gale ducked beneath his swing and dragged the sharp edge of her tusk dagger across his leg, splattering more of his blood on the ground below. Arroyo grunted in pain, but pressed his attack regardless, slashing his blade down at her and forcing her to leap back away from its razor-sharp edge. He pressed after her, taking three more swings at her that ended with a wide, flourished sweep of his blade that sent a wave of flames through the air around him.

Gale rushed through that wave without a second thought. Her pupils long-since narrowed into dangerous, razor thin lines of black, her expression twisted into a savage, feral snarl, the Hybrid forced her way into Arroyo's recovering stance and struck him across the face with the guard of her weapon, following up with two short, quick sweeps of her dagger across his chest, splattering the ground with a few droplets of crimson. She turned then and leapt into the air, slamming the tip of her foot into the side of his face and sending the feral Hybrid crashing into a dune several yards away.

"Pathetic!" she spat venomously, beating out the flames still clinging to the edges of her robes, each sweep of her hand accompanied by a gust of wind that split the grains of sand around her. Those winds continued even after she had finished swiping, though, round and round until they kicked up into a pair of twisters on either side of her. "For what you did to me, I'm going to paint this place red with you!"

She leapt up into one of them while the other pulled itself towards the dune where Arroyo was pulling himself out of. His eyes widened for a brief moment before he swiped his own arm up, and another force of wind crashed against the twister, suddenly forcing the air to be still and dropping a mass of sand to the ground before him.

"Not with that weak breeze you aren't!" he snarled as the other tornado veered towards him, and he again swiped his arm to the side to counter the raging tornado. It came within mere feet of him before halting abruptly, and the sand once more dropped to the ground like a sheet.

From within that curtain of sands, though, Gale shot into view, screaming viciously as she hurtled towards the feral Hybrid at a breakneck speed. He yelped in shock and attempted to raise his sword and thrust it at her head, though a twist of her neck at the last possible moment kept her from being skewered upon it. A small burst of flames still erupted from the edge, though, and some of the locks of hair over her eye had been cleaved off… and a trail of blood spurted out from where the green orb had once been.

Even still the Hybrid's charge was not stopped. She shot down towards Arroyo and slammed into him, driving her blade completely through his upper left shoulder, armor and all. He left out a bloodcurdling scream as the blue tusk blade tore through his flesh and embedded itself into the sand below, quickly staining it crimson. With a snarl she twisted the blade and tore it—and a chunk of Arroyo's shoulder—free from his body. His left arm went completely limp, though the Hybrid still had plenty of fight in him: he struck out at Gale with the spiked guard of his sword, sticking the long talon deep into her side to lift her off of him before flinging her back with a powerful kick and a swipe of his blade, cutting a long gash across her midsection. Gale hit the ground hard, but rolled over onto all fours and glared up at Arroyo with her single remaining eye while her wounds dripped blood into the sand below; Arroyo likewise turned over and forced himself up, dropping his sword to the sand before him to clutch at the horrible wound in his shoulder.

"You… bitch…" he fumed, gripping the wound hard and pulling breaths in through gritted teeth. Gale's expression remained as fierce and remorseless as before, though she lifted a hand to her right eye, then pulled her blood-soaked palm away. Her hand clenched into a fist a second later.

"That's eye… is the last thing… that you will _EVER_ take from me!"

"We'll just… see about that…!" Arroyo stooped down and grabbed his sword's grip with his good hand, hoisting it over his shoulder as he shot a deathly glare towards his former sister.

Gale rushed towards him and swept an arm up, lifting herself with gust of wind and wheeling into a powerful slash aimed for his chest. The feral Hybrid swiped his blade up to meet hers, though, and the sound of metal clashing against tusk bounded through the area. He pulled his arm back and over his head, allowing Gale's momentum to carry her past him towards a mostly-collapsed wall. She slammed through the surface in a cascade of bricks with a pained shout, and Arroyo pressed after her with a sadistic laugh, hefting his blade up and bringing it down on where she had fallen. She rolled to the side to avoid the attack, though her attempt to counter him with a lunging slash was blocked by the edge of his Silver Rathalos blade once more, splitting a deep gash through her tusk blade's edge.

"So easy," he sneered, leaning in close as they pressed their blades against each other, his own beginning to split further through her dagger. "You're soft… and _weak!_ "

Gale's initial reply was to snap her blade to the side—the dagger shattered down the middle in the process, but the force behind the action threw Arroyo's long sword to the side, leaving him wide open to a powerful blow from her fist that knocked him flying half a dozen feet back.

"And you don't know… when to quit running your _fucking_ mouth!" she roared, hurling the remains of her weapon after him. Arroyo hit the ground and righted himself rather fluidly, twisting to the side just as the shattered blade whipped past close enough to his head to take off the upper part of his right ear. He hissed in pain, but still forced himself up and charged her again, an act Gale copied to the letter.

Arroyo slashed and slashed as he drew near, forcing Gale to come to a halt and hop back to avoid being gashed on the silver edge. He kept her at length, forcing her onto the defensive with swipes and stabs she repeatedly tried to dart around or under to close the gap, only to growl louder and louder in frustration as she was cut off. His assault was not unsuccessful—he landed a cut on her thigh, a slice past her arm, a deep thrust into her side. Each wound splattered more blood onto the ground, and Arroyo's grin widened as he rushed forwards after landing a slash, slamming his wounded shoulder into Gale and knocking her to the ground a couple yards away. He then leapt into the air, flipping his sword into a reverse grip, and drove the tip directly into her shoulder. The force of the strike dug the blade completely through her body and into the ground, just like she had done to him before, and her own agonized screams filled the air.

"Does it hurt?!" he laughed sadistically, leaning over her and pressing the blade in deeper and deeper. "You _deserve_ this! Scream, Sister! Tell me how much pain you-!"

"You won't get… that satisfaction!" she hissed, lashing out with a punch aimed squarely for Arroyo's jaw. The blow struck true, staggering him back a pace off of her, and she followed up with a straight kick to his face, snapping Arroyo's head backwards and throwing him back almost twenty feet with a full flip, directly onto his chest with a dazed groan. While he was down Gale planted her arms on the ground on either side of her, and with an agonized groan she began to force herself up, pulling the blade still embedded in her shoulder out of the ground behind her in the process. Keeping her glare trained directly on him, the Hybrid grasped at the blade and began to pull it free from her shoulder. It took a few tugs, but eventually it came free fully, splattering the ground in front of her with crimson and momentarily flashing over the wound with a burst of fire element. Arroyo had only just shaken off his daze and pushed himself up by then, though his eyes widened when he saw Gale standing opposite him, her own fingers wrapped around the hilt of the bloodied Silver Rathalos long sword.

"I've felt this stolen blade's bite… enough times now," she huffed before lifting the blade towards him and tilting her head to the side, showing the bleeding gash over her right eye and a focused, deadly glare in the left. "Now… it's your turn!"

She rushed forwards with a snarl, turning and sweeping the silver edge over the ground. The sand she kicked up with her wind magic met with the flames of her blade, spinning into a short wall of blackened glass that followed the blade closely as it rose to meet its former holder. Arroyo sidestepped and lashed out at her with his good arm, slamming a fist into Gale's back heavily, but she turned her stumble into a turn, charging her shoulder into Arroyo's chest to drive him back a pace. She rose the blade to slash at him, but he lashed out again, striking her across the face with another ferocious blow. She staggered to the side with a pained cry, though still struck back, knocking a follow-up punch aside and striking her once-brother in the forehead with the long sword's pommel and making him sputter in shock while rapidly backpedaling, raising his good hand to his face to wipe the crimson liquid streaking down his face over his eyes away.

He cleared his vision just in time to see Gale close the distance and slash the blade up at him with a ferocious snarl. He darted to the side quick as he could, but not quickly enough; the searing edge met with the middle of Arroyo's good arm, and with a sickening _schlick_ and a burst of flames, the silver edge utterly sundered the limb from the feral Hybrid's body.

Arroyo's earsplitting, agonized howls probably would have lasted for minutes had Gale not immediately shut him up with another heavy slash across his chest, staggering him back with a short, choked gasp.

"Tell me how much you want it to end!" she mocked, flipping the long sword around on either side of her and shifting to a reverse grip and leveling it up beside her head. "Don't just beg for death! _Scream for it!"_

The Hybrid cried out ferociously as she javelin-tossed the blade directly at Arroyo's exposed chest. The blade stuck true, piercing his torso through his battle-worn armor and knocking him to the ground with a gurgled curse and thoroughly pinning him into the sand below. She wasted no time in closing the gap despite her many injuries, half-walking and half-dragging herself along, until she came to a pause where he lay. He stared up at her half-delirious, half-pleading look, but few discernable words could escape his lips save;

"M-Mesa…! Mes… a…! Wait-!"

She snarled viciously, dropping onto all four and grasping his throat between her hands. She stared coldly at him as her grip tightened more and more, and his chokes became more and more strained.

"Mesa died… a long time ago, you fool… My name… is _Gale!"_

With that she clenched her hands completely, crushing his esophagus like it was old, rotted wood, and yanked her arm upwards, tearing a chunk out of his neck and spewing blood into the air all around them. His still-widened eyes glazed over as blood gushed out of the wound, and as Gale rose to her feet, crimson dripping from her hands, Arroyo's head lolled to the side, his body went limp, and the life left his body like the last dying wind of a ferocious storm. Gale watched for a few moments, panting heavily, before stepping away from his corpse.

After nearly half a minute passed, Frost let out a low sigh and stepped towards the Hybrid, coming to a halt a few feet from her left side. Her exhausted huffs had not stopped, and her eyes still held a somewhat maddened light in them, though her expression was gradually shifting from vicious to stoic… though he knew she was anything but.

"A fine victory… was it not?" she asked, glancing towards him briefly, giving a clear view of the blood splattered across her face, the crimson streaming from her missing right eye. Their eyes met for a moment, but she immediately shifted hers towards the ground. "Never again… he won't bother another soul… not in this life, at least."

"Don't fake."

She turned her head ever so slightly towards him, frowning for a moment. She was faking celebration, and he knew that. Even she didn't know how she felt. There was no need to lie. Realizing this, she let out a long, weary sigh, and turned fully towards him. Her single remaining eye shifted from the ground to his face, then past him, towards Snow. She glanced back towards him, then nodded, lowering herself to the ground with a long hiss of pain. Frost watched her for a moment, then turned and strode back over to where Snow stood, her own eyes flicking between him and Gale confusedly.

"So… trusted friend, is she?" Snow at last stated as he came to a stop in front of her. Her icy blue eyes trailed up and down Frost's body, as though fully taking in the fact that it was actually him, that it was indeed her own brother standing before her. "…Two years. You've been off 'making friends' for two years, and I've spent all this time thinking you were dead. Then I get a letter saying you're alive, but you can't come back for 'reasons'. Meanwhile, I've spent all that time slaving for the Guild, being insulted and ridiculed by passerbys just for who—for _what_ I am, having to dodge thrown stones every day… watching all the people I care about disappear from my life, one by one."

"I-"

"Of all of them… my own brother is the first one to come back."

Frost grunted lightly in surprise as Snow stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight, tender embrace. He stood speechless for half a minute as she pressed her face into his shoulder and just held on, sobbing lightly against him. When no words came to mind, the Barioth Hybrid simply closed his eyes and returned the embrace, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. Eventually they separated, and Snow wiped the tears from her eyes with a short huff while she composed herself.

"You uh… your hair has gotten pretty long, huh?"

"So it has. If you wish to cut it, you may."

"No, no, it… actually looks pretty alright. Strange, almost like it's been groomed… Did someone help you with this? Or have you actually learned how to deal with your own hair while you were 'dead'?"

Frost spared a sideways glance back at Gale, who hadn't moved from where she had laid herself down to tend her injuries. His sister's eyes followed his, and she shot a concerned, yet curious glance back towards him before turning approaching the Hybrid, kneeling down beside her and quickly clearing her throat.

"Gale, was it?" Snow asked, earning a look from the black-haired woman. "I'm… impressed. You're quite the fighter… but you took some nasty hits there. And your eye-"

"The blade's fire element cauterized the worst of them…" Gale replied exhaustedly, her eye flitting towards the Barioth Hybrid for a quick second. "As for my eye, I… will manage. I only… need some time to adjust. Thank you for the concern, Snow."

"Even still, let me look you over and patch you up, else you might bleed out. And… you managed to earn my brother's trust somehow, so… it's the least I can do." Gale's eyebrow raised with interest at Snow's words, and the Hybrid continued. "…Look, I'm not sure exactly how close you both are, and frankly that's not territory I need to explore. Regardless of that, Frost doesn't even know how to tend his own wounds, much less someone else's. I've practically had to baby him since we were kids. Do you really want his help over mine?"

Though stunned into a momentary silence, a short snicker escaped Gale's lips at that comment, and in spite of her injuries she shot a hand up over her mouth as she broke out into a brief, genuine laughter. Frost furrowed his brow, but said nothing. He supposed Snow had a point, despite his irritation at her choice of verbatim. After composing herself Gale agreed to Snow's offer, and the two retreated around a wall for some visual privacy. Frost simply seated himself down on the other side with his back to the sand-worn barrier, his gaze shifting over to Arroyo's lifeless body, the blade still embedded there. A part of him questioned why Gale left it there. It was a strong weapon, one she could easily learn to make great use of. Why simply allow it to remain there, shaking in the wind while its edge rusted with her once-brother's blood on its length? It seemed such a waste.

He supposed that answer was simple enough. She had called it 'stolen'. That blade didn't belong to either her or Arroyo, did it? Perhaps one of the hunters he had slain in the past carried it. Perhaps his death only came about because of Arroyo's degrading sanity, and Gale's inability to see it happen. Perhaps this was, in a way, that hunter's revenge, to have that stolen blade used to fell the very one that took his or her life. Or, perhaps taking it would leave too many lingering memories. Gale sought to move on from her past, not carry it with her. She had faced her brother and defeated him. Her revenge was over. There didn't have to be anything else now. Or, perhaps she simply disliked long swords. Her destroyed tusk dagger was fundamentally different from the Silver Rathalos weapon, and from his own experience training with her, Gale was far more efficient at fighting with a short weapon.

Frost frowned. He really couldn't understand why he spent so much time thinking about her.

After Snow had thoroughly bandaged Gale's wounds, redressed her, and given her a potion, she called her brother over to that side of the wall. Just before Gale could begin her explanation, though, a small box device on Snow's collar buzzed momentarily. Her eyes widened slightly and she gestured to the other two to stay quiet for a moment, took a few steps to the side, and raised a finger to her ear.

"Trance? Yeah, I- ack! Don't shout, you know how sensitive my ears are! I'm fine, yeesh! …Uh-huh. Right, right, sorry, I was resting… I didn't mean to worry you. …He's dead. Very dead. Am I sure? Uh… not to sound too murder-y, but I've seen more than my fair share of dead bodies. How? Well, sword through the chest is kinda hard to come back from, even for a Hybrid. …Yes, I'm fine, I promise. Better than ever, really. Just give me a little time to pull myself together. I'll be heading over there as soon as I'm ready."

She let out a short sigh and lowered her hand from her ear then, pacing back towards the two Hybrids.

"Sorry, but I'm on a timeframe… last thing we need is Trance to bring the airship this way with the back-up team. Not sure how they'd react to three Hybrids instead of one."

Gale wasted no time speaking; she explained who she was, how she had saved Frost in Tanzia, who Neptune was, the existence of the Hybrid haven… everything. Frost occasionally remarked on one of the other Hybrids there—names, origins, whatever was relevant—but he mostly let the Sand Barioth Hybrid lead the conversation. As Gale spoke, Snow's expression gradually shifted from confused and uncertain to excited and hopeful. When Snow's turn to speak came, she recounted everything that had happened at and after the Battle of Tanzia—that which she was conscious for, at least. Her own work for the Guild, the state of their friends and allies, and anything else of note really, including the few holes in the Guild's system of tracking letters sent to her that Viper had managed to find that she used to communicate with her fellow Hybrids even while the Guild tried to police her every move. Once that all was finished, though…

"An entire haven… and an elder dragon Hybrid," she mused. "That's just…. Wow. I never considered the possibility…"

"I said the same thing."

"Snow, what you are doing in Loc Lac is a massive help for us," the Sand Barioth Hybrid continued. "Lord Neptune seeks to coexist with the other races of the world, the same as you. So, I ask… will you help us? When the time comes, will you work alongside us?"

"I'm not really sure what more I _can_ do to help, but… I'd be happy to. Honestly, knowing I'm not the only one in this is… well, it's a huge relief, that's for sure. I was hopeful enough at first, but… people I was close to just started disappearing, going off to live their own lives, and it all just started getting so much harder on me. On top of all that… Wes…"

Frost turned his head at the mention of the dual blade wielder's name, her dejected voice. He was well aware of Snow's conflicting feelings for him, and of Wes' deteriorating state following the battle (though she was just as mystified at his survival as he was), so her focus and concern for him was unsurprising.

"I will not pry," Gale assured, clearly sensing more within Snow's tone as well. She pushed herself up from the ground and limped over to where Snow sat, offering her a hand up. "This is not a battle you will face alone, Snow. Never think that it is."

The Barioth Hybrid smiled and took Gale's hand, rising to her feet as well. Her gaze turned to Frost, ho pushed himself off from the wall he had been leaning against to join them both. Gale then cleared her throat.

"We will keep in touch with you using the methods you detailed," Gale said, nodding towards Snow, then shifting her gaze towards Frost. "I suppose there is still one matter that must be decided… Do so quickly. I fear there is little time."

Their eyes locked for a few moments, then Gale stepped away, rounding a corner and leaving their sight. Frost's expression hardened, and he turned to face his sister once more. She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, an expectant expression. The hope in her eyes… it was newfound. She had been on the brink of despair. His arrival, the news they brought to her, that had saved her. He could tell.

"She seems nice," Snow said after about a minute of quiet between them, shrugging lightly. "When she isn't ripping someone's throat out, at least. When she is… well, I can see why you two get along. So, what's the story? Are you two… _together_ or something? Seems everyone else is pairing off these days… but all I can really gather is that she does your hair."

"I wouldn't say we are a… _couple,_ or anything along those lines. Then again, we… Hmm. There may be something. I do not know, nor do I particularly care to guess."

"Complicated, got it. Glad I'm not the only one. Still, I… it's hard to think that but a day ago I was questioning if you were dead or alive. Now, here you are… standing in front of me… just like always before. It's unreal… like-"

"-a missing piece has been found?"

She smiled lightly at his words and nodded, though her expression fell as the device on her collar buzzed again. Her tone shifted flawlessly to an upbeat attitude as she told Trance she was on her way out of the village, then just as easily shifted back to her true feelings as she hung up.

"How long will that last, Frost?" she muttered, looking off to the side, towards the dark horizon. "Do I have you back for good, or just a few more fleeting moments? That's the 'matter' Gale meant, isn't it?"

Frost grimaced for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"I know you. How long did you spend in that haven trying to leave, trying to come back? Weeks, months, all these past two years? I'll bet I was never far from your thoughts for even a day."

Again, Frost nodded.

"But you remained, despite yourself. You were learning all that you could learn. About our kind, our origins… all the things we've spent our lives searching for. You learned not only by being told, but by seeing it all, experiencing it all yourself."

A nod.

"…I'll admit, I'm pretty jealous," Snow sighed. "It sounds way better than the daily grind I've been put through… and all the hell that comes along with it. But, I'm happy for you all the same. Happy to have you alive and in one piece. Happier than I've been in… too long."

"You said the others left."

Snow nodded. "Viper's been getting busier and busier with his Guild Knight affairs… he's going to be leaving Venatoria entirely within a few months, to some job in Gildegaran. Ruby's under watch by the Guild elsewhere, Ann and Emm are in pretty much the same boat… I barely see any of them. If it's not one thing, it's another. Then, Wes… and Sabrina too. One day they just… they just left. No note, no explanation, not even a good-bye. The Gems probably know more, but I can only guess they left together. Which is… fine, I suppose. They'd made up as far as I could tell, and they seemed right for each other… It's fine. Really. Never would have worked out between us anyways… me being half-monster and all. Just wish he'd at least said _something_ to me before vanishing…"

Her crestfallen explanation told him everything she wasn't saying. He supposed love was a topic he was still all too unfamiliar with—his own familial brand for her notwithstanding—so such talk was alien to him. But he knew that her affection had begun to run deep, despite her efforts. The more deeply rooted it became, the more it hurt when that was uprooted without explanation. Perhaps Wes had his reasons, but to keep them to himself hurt Snow, possibly the others as well, more than anything.

"So, Frost… are you going to leave too?"

Their gazes met, and the weight of the question was upon him. Two paths, each winding, twisting, smooth and bumpy. Where they would lead, he did not—could not know. Yet this one choice would alter his fate entirely. Return to Loc Lac, to the bindings of the Guild, the scorn of its people, yet to the comfort of his twin? Or to the haven, his kind, the goals of Neptune, with Gale… leaving Snow to fend for herself.

For nearly a year he had brooded over that question, that choice. Both paths appealed to him, both paths repulsed him. A full year, and yet he'd come no closer to choosing. Now the choice was on him. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know—

"The fact that you're even hesitating is answer enough," Snow chuckled solemnly, breaking him out of his thoughts. He glanced down, then back at her with an inquisitive look. "Before, you wouldn't have wasted any time coming with me. You'd always go along with what I did, what I wanted to do. Your time in that haven, your time with Gale, it's changed you."

"Sister, I-"

"-still care. I know you do, Frost, and that's why you're hesitating. If you didn't care any longer, you wouldn't have come here at all, let alone spent so long making a choice. I never said the change was bad, just that you have changed. So, if it helps… I'll make that choice for you. Go back to that haven. Go back to Neptune, to Gale… go and do everything you can for Hybrids on that end, and I'll do everything I can for us on mine. We'll be two parts of a whole, working for a shared goal where we'll be able to do the most individually. You go, and I'll be fine… I'll know for sure that my brother is out there alive and well, after all."

She smiled warmly, sadly, and Frost sighed heavily. She was right about him. He was always following along with her words. He wasn't the speaker. His duty as her brother was to listen and protect her, and he did both as best he could. Now even that was impossible. He could not do both. But looking at her now, the choice was clear. Snow was strong. She had gone two long years without him, losing others she was close to, having her heart rent in two, but still she persevered. Now, perhaps more than ever, she had hope, and conviction. She could stand on her own without him constantly being there. He knew she could face the future, even if he weren't at her side… and Frost felt he could stand on his own now too.

After a long silence between them, Frost nodded and closed his eyes, letting out a low breath while he did so. He felt that question's weight leave his shoulders as he did so, though the burden of the answer fell upon him only a second after. It seemed much lesser, though… perhaps because she was here to bear half of it along with him.

"It's as you say, Snow. I'll go back to them, work towards this shared goal of ours from my end. Together, we'll forge a better future for our kind."

Snow nodded after his reply, her expression saddened, yet understanding, resolved. He turned briskly after a few more moments, beginning to head after the Sand Barioth Hybrid, but he abruptly stopped next to the wall she had disappeared around.

"Sister, you should remember something," he said, tilting his head back to look towards the starry sky above. "Something I told you long ago… we are not half-human, and we are not half-monster. We will never be either of those things. We're something entirely different. We are _Hybrids_. Do not think yourself flawed because of that."

Silence was her only reply to him at first, then after a few moments- "Maybe you're right… Brother, what should I tell the others about you? I'm sure they'd love to know you're alive and well."

"It would be best if the Guild did not know that we met for the time being. They might lose trust in you. When the time is right I'll show myself again. But if you can't hold your tongue…" He thought on that for a moment. "What was the nickname Viper came up with for me, long ago? 'Jack Frost', was it? Tell them 'Jack says hello'. That should confuse them all until that time comes."

"Are you… are you trying to make a joke? Oh my gods, you really have changed."

"Not for the worse."

He began to walk off again, but before he could take another step she caught hold of his arm, causing him to turn back towards her.

"Not even a good-bye?"

"Why speak of good-byes? We will meet again, Snow."

"…Heh. Honesty is the best policy, isn't it… Alright, get going."

She released her hold on his arm, and he nodded at her one last time before following after Gale's tracks in the sand. Their gazes met, and another wordless exchange happened between them. She knew he was returning to the haven along with her. He knew this fact gladdened her. Reading her the way he'd grown used to was somewhat difficult now with her missing eye, but the fact that he still could perhaps spoke volumes.

"Are you well enough to fly all the way back?" he asked.

"I can for a ways. Though… we may be doing a bit more walking this trip. The flight here was taxing enough, and I was not as full of holes then."

"Mm. Let me know if I should carry you."

Gale rolled her eyes and strode past him towards an exit to the village, opposite where Snow said Trance and his team were waiting on standby. He recovered his 'wings' from the building he'd tossed them into while Gale focused her powers, and with a powerful gust of her wind magic the two Hybrids took to the skies, soaring through the dark of night back towards the haven, back towards whatever path this choice would take him down. He kept Gale to his left as they flew side by side, mile after mile.

That way, she could not see the few silent tears that streaked down his face.

 **The End**

* * *

 **Author Notes: Please review! Thus ends the final part of Whiteout! I hope you enjoyed this short tale about Frost!**

 **I really enjoyed taking the chance to explore his character more, which was the exact purpose of this side story. The concept of forcing him to experience growth while separated from Snow was perhaps the best I had for a character like Frost. But at the same time, I really enjoyed the new characters I got to write, brief though their roles and appearances may have been.**

 **As for the one real fight of this story, Gale vs Arroyo! In the original DLC the battle was actually between Frost and Arroyo, but I felt that given the build up of Gale's character over the course of Whiteout it would make more sense to completely rewrite the fight and have her be the one to face off with Arroyo instead. So if you were expecting Frost to fight… well, he got to beat up Arroyo a little.**

 **Fun little fact about this fight though; it was initially a lot shorter, and Gale spent much of it in more of a "tranquil fury". Gecko wisely pointed out that it wouldn't make much sense for her to act in such a way, though, and recommended a more furious persona for her. That meant more dialogue… but also a much more aggressive and bloody exchange that ended up being far more akin to the kind of Hybrid fights I envisioned in TMC than I may have ended up showing back then with the few chances I had. So yeah, this fight is by far the bloodiest I've written… enough so that I actually considered upping the rating of Whiteout.**

 **And at long last Frost and Snow are back together! …briefly! I felt it would be important to show how the stress of her job combined with all of her friends and allies going off to do their own things affected her, particularly Frost's 'death' and Wes' disappearance—yeah, that move did end up having an impact on all of his friends, which wasn't given too much focus in the last chapter of TMC. Still, Snow being one of my favorite characters to write before definitely made her return here more fun for me. The twin dynamic between her and Frost of course remains relevant to both of them, hence the final choice of Whiteout. Frost doesn't go with Snow for the stated reasons in the story, but the reason Snow doesn't just leave Loc Lac and go with him to the haven is because of her sense of duty and attachment to the Hybrids in Loc Lac, plus her lasting guilt over Kalvata making her feel like she still has to continue her work to atone. Had she asked Frost to come back to Loc Lac instead, he likely would have. She made the choice she did so that he could continue to grow, and so that she could as well.**

 **So, there's the story! Tell me, faithful reader—did you like the story? Who was your favorite character, new or old? Any scenes you liked in particular? Be sure to tell me in the reviews, as those help me improve a lot, even if they're just short and simple!**

 **One last note for you all—I have another story in the workings right now! I can't say when I'll have enough chapters ready for posting, but it shouldn't be too long if all goes well. This'll be another bigger story focusing on the areas from the fourth generation games with plenty of reference to the fifth gen, before ultimately shifting to World and Astera. In effect it is a sequel to The Master Corps, but I'm writing it to stand apart from TMC and work as its own standalone piece. Definitely look out for that in the future!**


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